Gay Episcopal bishop begins his ministry

AP | 11/09/03 | KATHARINE WEBSTER

[kattracks]

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (AP) — The Rev. V. Gene Robinson began his ministry as the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop on Sunday by saying he wants to bring the message of God's love to "those on the margins."

He also said the church should speak out on issues of social justice, including the lack of access to health care for many Americans.

"How dare we in this country spend $87 billion on war when 44 million people have no health insurance?" he said in his sermon. "It's up to the church to lead on some of these moral issues."

After the service at All Saints Church, where he was married to his former wife, Robinson said he hopes that people who disagree with his confirmation will remain within the Episcopal Church, instead of breaking away.

"A church founded on unhappiness and anger is not going to go very far," he said.

New Hampshire's Episcopalians elected Robinson as bishop in June, and his selection was approved at the convention of the Episcopal Church USA in August. But his consecration a week ago has threatened to divide the Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of Anglicanism.

On Nov. 3, overseas bishops who said they represented 50 million of the world's 77 million Anglicans jointly announced they were in a "state of impaired communion" with the Episcopal Church — a step short of declaring a full schism.

In addition, conservatives within the U.S. church have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, to authorize a separate Anglican province for them in North America.

In his sermon, Robinson said Jesus spent most of his time with women, taxpayers and foreigners, not with the rabbis and wealthy members of the temple.

Jesus "looked at the religious establishment of his day and realized they had closed their eyes to those on the margins," he said.

"Think of all the kinds of blindness right outside this door: not seeing people in need, or turning the other way when we do," he said.

Robinson told a story about three American soldiers in World War I whose fellow soldier was killed in combat, then was buried just outside the fence of a French churchyard because the priest didn't know whether the soldier had been baptized. When the Americans returned to pay their respects, they couldn't find his grave outside the fence.

The priest explained to them, "I realized I'd followed the rules, but I hadn't done the right thing — so I moved the fence," Robinson said.

"You and I in Jesus' name are called to move the fence ... as far away from us as possible," Robinson said.

At a reception for the bishop following the service, churchgoer Jack Jones said he was "all for" Robinson.

"He's a real brave man, and intelligent, and if people don't want to come to church for him, let them go somewhere else," said Jones, 64.

Elsewhere in the state, about half the members of the Episcopal parish in Rochester walked out of Sunday services to protest the dismissal of their interim minister, who opposes Robinson's appointment.

Bishop Douglas Theuner of the Diocese of New Hampshire removed the Rev. Donald Wilson on Friday for insubordination when Wilson refused to come to Concord to meet with Theuner on the matter. Robinson will automatically succeed Theuner when the bishop retires next year.

Lisa Ball, a member of the group that left, said the protest has nothing to do with homophobia, and "it has nothing to do with gay bashing."

Theuner "decided to take our priest away from us and didn't even ask us," Ball said.

David Tyler, the junior warden of the church and one of those who remained inside, said the parish "has a disagreement. We are trying to work this out."

[Aliska]

A sign of things to come?

When they get enough power and the opportunity arises, if it arises politically, they will turn on faithful Christians. Already there is hatred building for Christians who are being portrayed as being backward and bigoted.

I don't think there was such a high incidence of homosexuality and perversion in the past as there seems to be now, although I can't figure out why or if it is true.

Is it possible that genetic breakdown is the culprit, along with blurring of sexual roles in the modern world?

This may be really off-the-wall, but is it possible that unconfessed sins of sexual perversion by ancestors can make its way into the gene pool? It sounds a little crazy, but cells carry memory to some extent.

It doesn't seem that other cultures have such a high incidence of homosexuality as the decadent west.

[workerbee]

he wants to bring the message of God's love to "those on the margins."

Is that what he tells his kids? "I left your mom and am boinking another man to teach you about God's love." Charming.

"How dare we in this country spend $87 billion on war when 44 million people have no health insurance?" he said in his sermon. "It's up to the church to lead on some of these moral issues."

With a straight face, I'll bet. No pun intended.

[Aliska]

I was browsing in Barnes and Noble and picked up a book about Hungary. Wish I had the exact title, but I don't. The author claimed that there was no homosexuality in Hungary around 1900, didn't mention anything about "closeted". It was not a book about sex, more like an anecdotal type of history.

Maybe Hungary has the answer. I sure don't.

I can't advocate any kind of violence against them, nor do I advocate repressive measures to the point of keeping them from earning a living, but the behavior wasn't tolerated and was probably punished.

I never used to pay much attention to it because it only became so open after the 60's. Now it makes me angry that they have become so blatant and self-justifying and in-your-face about it.

They have a significant presence on the internet, as well as heterosexual supporters.

I found this just posted in alt.religion.christian.episcopal:

"The good news is, there's no news. Bishop Robinson came to All Saints' in Peterborough today and there were no news cameras, no protestors, no complaints, and no inappropriate behavior on anyone's part. He spent part of yesterday with the people being confirmed and celebrated at all services today (8:00 Rite I, 9:00 informal family service, 11:00 Rite II). Then he had a working lunch with the Vestry.

"At 10:00 he had an open discussion with the parish to field questions. We spent most of the time talking about the future and what plans he has for the diocese. We talked a little about reaching out to those who are unhappy, but his focus is really on the 50% of the state that has no chuch affiliation at all.

"Bon mot of the day: He was discussing promoting the ministries of laity in the parish and in passing said, "If you believe, as I do, that everyone's going to Heaven--well, just look around you, at all the faces--it's not going to be any better than this."

"And his partner was present and Gene introduced him. I wasn't sure how people would feel about this, but I had the pleasure of seeing someone I would have said was the most inflexible, tradition-minded people in the parish walk up to him and shake his hand."

If you go google archives, you can use the keywords and search for the poster. It is too fresh to be in the archives tonight, so wait until tomorrow sometime.

Also, yahoo groups has an apostasy group for Episcopalians who are disenchanted with the turn of events which has a lot of good info. I'm not of that denomination, but I'm following it anyway because we are all affected by it one way or another whether we like it or not. The conservatives are on the losing side of this battle.

BTW, maybe I ought not to be talking to you with a screen name like that :-). But others may see this and find it of interest.

[Aliska]

ping to my #65. You may find the newsupdate in the second part of the post of interest.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Time to move the fence again and recapture the Episcopal Church.

[MeekOneGOP]

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (AP) — The Rev. V. Gene Robinson began his ministry as the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop on Sunday by saying he wants to bring the message of God's love to "those on the margins."

He also said the church should speak out on issues of social justice, including the lack of access to health care for many Americans.

"How dare we in this country spend $87 billion on war when 44 million people have no health insurance?" he said in his sermon. "It's up to the church to lead on some of these moral issues."

I am speechless ...

[scripter]

Whoa - I'm kinda late here... I'd ping the list but it looks like many of us have already been here and done that. Thanks for the ping.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"A church founded on unhappiness and anger is not going to go very far," he said.

Not satisfied with just demonstrating his ignorance of The Bible, "Gene Gene The Prancing Machine" goes the extra yard to show that he knows very little about history, as well.

[LoneConservative]

I met Vickie Robinson once, In St. Barths. He was with Mark, his "Partner"...er, Buttbuddy. Robinson had been in line for the Bishop of Newark, NJ, but was rejected when they found out a little more about him. He was disinvited to serve as a visitng minister on St. Barths as a result of that. Also, the Archbishop of the West Indies, Drexel Gomez, has promised that no one who took part in the consecration of this "Bishop" will be allowed to serve, either. So Long, Bishop Ted Eastman (Ret).

[jimt]

"A church founded on unhappiness and anger is not going to go very far," he said.

And how far will a church founded on blatant hypocrisy go, Bishop BJ?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Thanks.

[churchillbuff]

Please, no laying on of hands, Mr. Bishop!

[churchillbuff]

Keep your pastoral staff to yourself, Mr. Bishop!

[churchillbuff]

If you're a shepherd, Mr. Bishop, I don't want to be one of the sheep!