Posted on 04/05/2005 10:51:26 AM PDT by danno3150
MANCHESTER, N.H. - The first openly gay Episcopal bishop says he is being deluged with angry messages after being falsely accused of suggesting that Jesus might have been homosexual.
``I can assure you with absolute certainty that was not my implication, and certainly not anything I ever said,'' Bishop V. Gene Robinson told the New Hampshire Union Leader in a story published Tuesday. ``I am furious for my remarks to be interpreted in a way as to mean something I never said.''
Religion writer David Virtue apparently was the first to suggest otherwise in a Web log entry based on remarks Robinson made Feb. 13 at Christ Church in Hamilton, Mass. Other blogs and conservative publications took it from there, including The Daily Telegraph of London.
As a result, Robinson said, ``my office is being flooded with angry messages from around the country, and from around the world, about something I never said.''
Robinson spoke at a church forum on sexual issues and said he was making the point that the nuclear family is a relatively new construct and that even for his time, Jesus apparently led a nontraditional life.
``Interestingly enough, in this day of traditional family values and so on,'' Robinson said in a recording from the forum, ``this man that we follow ... was single as far as we know; who traveled with a bunch of men, although there were lots of women around; who had a disciple who was known as `the one whom Jesus loved'; who said my family is not my mother and father, my family are those who do the will of God - none of us like those harsh words. That's who Jesus is, that's who he was, at least in his earthly life.''
Later Robinson said: ``Those who would posit the nuclear family as the be-all and end-all of God's creation probably don't find that much in the Gospels to support that. On the other hand, I happen to think the traditional family is a wonderful thing. I'm a product of it. I dearly love my family, and I love my own family, with my own two kids. It just looks a little nontraditional. But this Jesus, when you ask who is Jesus, he was not terribly mainstream, was he?''
Pointing out that Jesus was not married with children ``is a long way from saying Jesus is gay, or saying that he had sex with anyone, male or female,'' Robinson told the paper. He did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Robinson married and had two daughters before accepting his own homosexuality. He has lived for years with his male partner.
The controversial remarks are part of comments that lasted several minutes in response to a question of similar length, the Union Leader said. Material from the forum is posted on the church's Web site.
For those media types that have been slamming the Pope for his conservative stances, here's what moral relativism in a church gets you.
If he has nothing to fear, play the tape.
I heard excerpts of a recording of the bishop, and it sure sounded as if he were certainly making the inference that Jesus was gay.
I didn't know who was speaking at first. It wasn't until it was over that a voice came on, right at the end, saying who the speaker was.
The Gay Gene strikes again.
I'm soooo misunderstood.
You are so right. I heard Rush read his comments yesterday on his show and there is no other way to interpret what he said.
Does it make me a bigot that I wouldn't want this person as a leader in my church?
And what exactly is the point of mentioning this? In what way would this be an example of Jesus being "non-traditional" and "not mainstream?"
I wonder what Bishop "Vicky Gene" would say to, "Go and sin no more!"
Sure explains why his church closed down.
God will not be mocked, I pity his soul.
I don't know why, but for some reason the implication that Jesus and John were lovers makes me almost more angry on behalf of John than Jesus. Perhaps because Jesus can take care of himself (treading the winepress of the fierce wrath of God and all that).
Besides, John's always been my favorite. :-)
Is this:
my family are those who do the will of God
Not that AP has an agenda, but they assert the gay advocate was "falsely accused."
Well he DID say that he was misunderstood!! So that would make it a false accusation since there is no way a homosexual Bishop would ever try to make the assertion that Jesus may have been gay....why would he do that?!? No motives whatsoever there!!
Aw come-on, Vikie, be a (man) and own up to what you said and meant!
Angry messages oozing over him like warm butter!
Well that I agree with. He is backpedaling from his words like crazy, parsing them like a Clinton. My point was that AP took his side, by saying he was "falsely accused of suggesting" that Jesus might have been homosexual.
In other words, AP is saying that the Bishop's words can NOT be reasonably taken as suggesting that Jesus might have been homosexual. I've read his words, and the AP is wrong. It is not unreasonable to take the Bishop's words as suggestion that Jesus was a homo.
Sorry....was my sarcasm not clear?!? Of course he is backpedaling. He wasn't expecting this kind of attention to it obviously and because of the overwhelming calls and complaints to his office he has to do something to calm the waves. He is scum, nothing more, IMHO
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