Randal Gardner is incorrect about this: "Hell is a state of continuing refusal toward God, which one can leave at any time."
There is a good discussion of C.S. Lewis and the notion of purgatory here: http://afcmin.org/merelewis/?p=19
In particular, however, we have "Lewis rejected what he called the "Romish" view of Purgatory- that one could be saved there. For Lewis, no one who is in Purgatory is lost." Thus according to Lewis, those that are in Hell are in Hell for good.
And we have this line from Gardner,"The big thing — and I think it’s on the radar across the board for an awful lot of people — is how can I be a faithful guide and leader at a time when it seems God might be moving the body of the faithful out of institutional church organizations into something that isn’t quite designed yet."
The arrogance of leadership in Episcopalianism is astounding. For example, attendance at Mr. Gardner's church has fallen by almost half in the past several years. Yet Mr. Gardner insists that their way is God's way and doesn't represent a major turning away (apostasy) and it is this apostasy that is causing the drastic decline. Anyone but the arrogant Episcopalian leadership would stop to question maybe the course they have chosen is the wrong path. — July 29, 2010 6:44 a.m.
St. James By the Sea Episcopal Church
Randal Gardner is incorrect about this: "Hell is a state of continuing refusal toward God, which one can leave at any time." There is a good discussion of C.S. Lewis and the notion of purgatory here: http://afcmin.org/merelewis/?p=19 In particular, however, we have "Lewis rejected what he called the "Romish" view of Purgatory- that one could be saved there. For Lewis, no one who is in Purgatory is lost." Thus according to Lewis, those that are in Hell are in Hell for good. And we have this line from Gardner,"The big thing — and I think it’s on the radar across the board for an awful lot of people — is how can I be a faithful guide and leader at a time when it seems God might be moving the body of the faithful out of institutional church organizations into something that isn’t quite designed yet." The arrogance of leadership in Episcopalianism is astounding. For example, attendance at Mr. Gardner's church has fallen by almost half in the past several years. Yet Mr. Gardner insists that their way is God's way and doesn't represent a major turning away (apostasy) and it is this apostasy that is causing the drastic decline. Anyone but the arrogant Episcopalian leadership would stop to question maybe the course they have chosen is the wrong path.— July 29, 2010 6:44 a.m.