"A theological cat can piss on an episcopal shoe
and an episcopal shoe can eject a pissing theological cat!"
-- pimpleA fellow member on another message board said this, about the ways people think about joining or not joining a church, re: whether or not you had to believe absolutely everything that church teaches to be able to grow and serve and worship there:
After ten years as a reader I resigned because I could no longer teach what the church - that is, my local church - believed. But I still had many friends there, and a great respect for the Vicar.
He, in turn, owes an allegiance to his bishop, and would not be expected to contradict his bishop's teaching. That's how a hierarchical church works. But nothing stops me as an individual speaking my mind. A theological cat can piss on an episcopal shoe and an episcopal shoe can eject a pissing theological cat!