Rowan Williams: gay relationships 'comparable to marriage' (Coffee mug down alert!)

Times Online ^ | August 7, 2007 | Ruth Gledhill

[NYer]

Rowan Williams believes that gay sexual relationships can “reflect the love of God” in a way that is comparable to marriage, The Times has learnt.

Gay partnerships pose the same ethical questions as those between men and women, and the key issue for Christians is that they are faithful and lifelong, he believes.

Dr Williams is known to be personally liberal on the issue but the strength of his views, revealed in private correspondence shown to The Times, will astonish his critics.

The news threatens to reopenbitter divisions over ordaining gay priests, which pushed the Anglican Communion towards a split.

As Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Williams recommitted the Anglican Communion to its orthodox position that homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture at the Lambeth Conference, which closed on Sunday.

However, in an exchange of letters with an evangelical Christian, written eight years ago when he was Archbishop of Wales, he described his belief that biblical passages criticising homosexual sex were not aimed at people who were gay by nature.

He argued that scriptural prohibitions were addressed to heterosexuals looking for sexual variety. He wrote: “I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness.” Dr Williams described his view as his “definitive conclusion” reached after 20 years of study and prayer. He drew a distinction between his own beliefs as a theologian and his position as a church leader, for which he had to take account of the traditionalist view.

[NYer]

The letters, written in the autumn of 2000 and 2001, were exchanged with Deborah Pitt, a psychiatrist and evangelical Christian living in his former archdiocese in South Wales, who had written challenging him on the issue.

FULL TEXT OF LETTERS (in pdf format)

[Liberty1970]

There may still be Christians in the Anglican Church. But the Anglican Church is most definitely not a Christian institution.

[NYer]

Vatican Document on Homosexual Unions

Homosexual unions are totally lacking in the biological and anthropological elements of marriage and family which would be the basis, on the level of reason, for granting them legal recognition. Such unions are not able to contribute in a proper way to the procreation and survival of the human race. The possibility of using recently discovered methods of artificial reproduction, beyond involving a grave lack of respect for human dignity,(15) does nothing to alter this inadequacy.

CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS

Catholic Ping
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[RexBeach]

Homosexuals cannot be married. The parts don’t fit.

When perversion is treated as normal, Hell is right around the corner.

[buffyt]

I used to think so, when my sister’s son moved in with his friend. They lived together for about ten years and I thought they had a solid gay relationship. But they broke up. My nephew has lived with one man after another. I don’t know how he keeps from getting AIDS. I no longer think gay relationships are like marriage. But marriage is one man and one woman NOT including divorce!!!!!!!!! Divorce is just as bad as gay relationships. It is actually more destructive, destroys the children.

[buffyt]

Divorce and abortion = hell right around the corner, too.

[Gamecock]

**The parts don’t fit.**

They do, but not well.

[RexBeach]

You said it, Buffy!

[Mr. Lucky]

So, the Reverend thinks he has outwitted God on a technicality?

[MortMan]

I guess he just doesn’t own an unredacted copy of the scriptures.

[max americana]

>He wrote: “I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage,<

......

[pgkdan]

There may still be Christians in the Anglican Church. But the Anglican Church is most definitely not a Christian institution.

Indeed. I wish the Vatican would end the charade of Ecumenical talks with this institution.

[lormand]

"But marriage is one man and one woman NOT including divorce!!!!!!!!!"

I take my vows seriously. We are about to have our 20th.

Till death do us part!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/416.html

See #17, 18 & 25. The Commies are making amazing progress right under our noses!

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

When is the new wave of pilgrims coming?

Did this kind of crap start the first wave?

" One needs to reconsider the nmeaning of Merry Old England."

[television is just wrong]

The bible condemns these acts and calls them perversions. Our governments view of multiculturalism and all acceptance has lead us down the path to accepting anti Christian behavior.

Everything not Christian is good in their eyes. If you don't like it you are racist and xenophobic. not accepting of other cultures.

[SumProVita]

“Rowan Williams believes that gay sexual relationships can “reflect the love of God” in a way that is comparable to marriage....”

Screwtape laughs at Williams.....while he continuously feeds him illogical thinking patterns....and converts his real guilt about perverted sex....to activism.

[crusty old prospector]

He wrote: “I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness.”

Methinks he is a closet poofer himself. Sodomy is OK as long as it done under the guise of a long term relationship. No quickies at the bath house with the Village People.