Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!hao!seismo!umcp-cs!mangoe From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Church Discipline Message-ID: <26@umcp-cs.UUCP> Date: Tue, 18-Sep-84 22:22:09 EDT Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.26 Posted: Tue Sep 18 22:22:09 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 03:12:42 EDT References: <4756@duke.UUCP> Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD Lines: 18 In practice the various protestant denominations differ greatly in their treatment of"sinners". I know that the Presbyterian church I attended as a child expelled a number of people (it is now 24 years old); a group of people who were (sorry, but its the accurate term) heretics, and the participants in a particularly sordid and public bit of adultery. As I understand it, these are the only real grounds for expulsion: heresy or flagrant and defiant sin. It is a policy I feel comfortable with, as it allows for the inevitable waywardness of people. On the other hand, the Episcopal Church (and the Anglicans worldwide) show an incredible amount of tolerance for almost anything. Well, maybe not TOO incredible. There is lots of public dissent on almost any topic you care to mention; without a LOT of tolerance, the church would just fly apart. As protestants go, interestingly, the Episcopalians are relatively schism-free. Charley Wingate umcp-cs!mangoe