The things you learn on the internet

[Alpo]

I came across the term "Episcopal" in reference to a member of the church - "I'm an Episcopal". I had always thought the correct word was "Episcopalian". So I looked it up to see if it was two words meaning the same thing, or possibly two entirely different religions with similar names.

 

I learned SO MUCH neat stuff.

 

I learned that the Episcopal Church came from the Church of England.

 

As did the Lutheran Church.

 

The fact that the Lutheran Church started in Germany, 20 years before the Church of England started in (surprise surprise) England, did not seem to matter to the one posting that information.

 

The reason for the name change came after the Revolution. Anglican Priests, who had refused to return to England, now found that it was not Politically Correct to have Church of ENGLAND on their signs, so they took the signs down and put up new ones saying Episcopal Church.

 

I don't know whether that is true or not, but that is neat.

 

Then I learned that the Church of England was started by Elizabeth I. After she had her father, Henry VIII, assassinated so she could become Queen, the Church of Rome excommunicated her. So she started her own church.

 

Since Good Queen Bess did not become Queen until 1558 - eleven years AFTER Henry died, she must not have planned that assassination very well.

 

The trouble is, some of that NEAT STUFF, is really hard to believe.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Hey man, it is on the internet. It MUST be true.

[DocWard]

Hey man, it is on the internet. It MUST be true.

 

Beat me to it!

[Subdeacon Joe]

If you look at the flag of the Episcopal Church you can see the connection to England.

 

The cross of St. George (red on white) from England, and the American blue canton with white crosses crosslet in saltire.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

from

 

http://stpaulsms.org/how-the-episcopal-flag-was-created/

 

 

Mr. Baldwin described the flag’s symbolism thus: “The red cross is the oldest symbol, dating back to the third century. The white represents purity and the red, the blood of the martyrs. The blue is ecclesiastical blue, light in color and used in the clothing of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, on this flag, represents the human nature of our Lord which he got from his virgin mother. The nine cross crosslets or Jerusalem crosses represent the nine dioceses that convened in Philadelphia in 1789, when the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church was adopted. . . The nine cross crosslets are set in the form of a St. Andrew’s cross in memory of the fact that, to avoid swearing allegiance to the British Crown, Bishop-elect Seabury of Connecticut (the first bishop of the Episcopal Church) had to go to Scotland to be consecrated by Scottish bishops.” The large red vertical-horizontal cross, St. George’s cross, is in recognition of St. George, the patron saint of England, as Andrew is of Scotland.