Posted on 02/18/2006 7:59:35 AM PST by wagglebee
The Associated Press reported on Valentine's Day afternoon from Concord, New Hampshire:
"The Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, says he is being treated for alcoholism.
"'I am writing to you from an alcohol treatment center where on Feb. 1, with the encouragement and support of my partner, daughters and colleagues, I checked myself in to deal with my increasing dependence on alcohol,' Robinson wrote in an e-mail dated Monday.
"Robinson's assistant at the Diocese of New Hampshire, the Rev. Tim Rich, said Tuesday that a growing awareness of his problem, rather than a crisis, led to Robinson's decision.
"In his letter, Robinson, 58, says he has been dealing with alcoholism for years and had considered it 'as a failure of will or discipline on my part, rather than a disease over which my particular body simply has no control, except to stop drinking altogether.'
"Rich said the news surprised him and many others.
"'We did not see it in any way impact his ministry in the diocese,' Rich said."
This AP story did not report any diocesan statement concerning how long Robinson has been dealing with alcoholism; when it "began to increase" – and how much.
Nor is there any explanation of whether there was increased alcohol dependence when Robinson left his wife to begin a homosexual relationship.
Alcoholism is indeed a disease – but since when has it ever ceased being "a failure of will or discipline"?
The AP also reported:
"The Rev. David Jones, rector of Robinson's home church, St. Paul's in Concord, said he also was surprised and had not seen any signs, even in retrospect, that Robinson had a problem with alcohol.
"Robinson was elected bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 and confirmed by the national church, causing an upheaval not only in the Episcopal Church, but the worldwide Anglican Communion of which it is part.
"At New York's gay pride parade last spring, marchers and spectators crowded around him for more than three hours, reaching out to touch his hand, crying and thanking him."
While prayer for any alcoholic is commendable, why did the Standing Committee of the Diocese of New Hampshire announce that Bishop Vicky Gene Robinson's (finally) seeking treatment is "a courageous example to us all"?
This man has been ordained since December 1973, and has undoubtedly dealt with alcoholism in other people.
There is no explanation from the diocese as to why this bishop did not seek treatment years ago, rather than traveling around the world promoting his new lifestyle and causing one of the worst crises in the history of the U.S. Episcopal Church, and more than 70 millions Anglicans worldwide.
I've heard he smokes pole....
You are so bad!
Romans 1: 24-32 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
What's not to understand about this?
Can this bishop be defrocked?
He already is, frequently.
A real role model there.
Dear God, please return sanity to this Earth - we're dying here.
Coming soon to a theater near you.
Now if he can just find some farm animals to molest, rob a few banks, murder a few innocents, and father a couple of bastards, he'll be the perfect moral role model. /sarc
Because it is a long-term, committed relationship with the bottle?
At least that's how they excused his sexual perversion.
Well this is really nice. What a great way to further glorify the Lord and His churches. Nothing says acceptance and love like a drunk sodomite bishop.
His live-in might not like him when he's sober.
What an insult to Christianity the Episcopal church is!
> My guess is he's also dealing a myriad of other problems associated with the gay lifestyle.
I think it is chicken/egg. Every gay person I know had a really dysfunctional childhood. Whether the alcoholism is a result of coping with homosexuality, or whether homosexuality AND alcoholism are a result of coping with some traumatic issues from childhood, I tend to the latter theory.
In either event, the man is wholly unsuited to lead a Christian flock, based upon his example alone.
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