Church supports apology to gays

news-record. ^ | 1/27/07 | Nancy H. McLaughlin

[Rb ver. 2.0]

GREENSBORO — Episcopalians meeting in Greensboro this week gave strong preliminary support for a resolution apologizing to gays and lesbians for how they’ve been treated by Christians.

The resolution, which is expected to go before the full Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina this morning, would also affirm homosexuals as "children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church."

A similar resolution was passed this past summer by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which has been racked with division since the affirmation of its first openly gay bishop.

The North Carolina resolution comes after the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, the state’s largest religious group, approved a resolution this summer that would remove member churches that endorse or affirm the homosexual lifestyle.

"I would wish it were as simple as saying 'My congregation is open to anybody who wants to come,’" Chaplain Kevin Matthews of St. Mary’s House in Greensboro, who submitted the resolution, said during Friday’s hearing.

"The reality is that sometimes we have to say and do things for people who won’t get to your door for you to be welcoming and friendly because they might already believe you are going to be hostile. … This is an evangelism and mission-minded resolution."

While the discussion never grew heated, some delegates made it clear they wanted the church to stop talking about sex.

Most of those who stood up to be heard spoke in favor of the resolution.

"Yes, it will hurt people," said Steve Gee of All Saints Episcopal Church in Greensboro. "Being a gay man, myself, I see this as part of the ongoing civil rights struggle that started in the ’40s when the churches had to make statements for racial equality. There were people who left churches because they would not drink from the common cup with people of color.

"There are people who will not drink from the common cup if they know they are drinking next to a gay person."

Earlier on the first day of the convention, Bishop Michael Curry emphasized to the gathering of about 600 people the need for ministry and outreach in the community despite distractions.

The sea — beautiful and blue one moment, troubled and tempestuous the next — is a metaphor for life, he said.

"We know that 'sea,’ even now," said Curry, who is the spiritual leader of 48,000 Episcopalians in North Carolina. "We know the winds and the waves — sometimes it’s called 9/11, terrorism, global warming, Darfur, schism, Anglical Communion, Iraq, Afghanistan, genetic engineering, HIV/AIDS.

"I know we can’t do everything, but for God’s sake, we can do something, and that something can make a difference."

[Alouette]

Episcopalians, they are like Reform Jews without the bagels and lox.

[PetroniusMaximus]

Merely the stink off a rotting corpse.

[mware]

. The funny thing about the location is that about 10 years ago the park shown on the map was notorious for anonymous gay sex encounters.

Did they exorcise the property before they build the church there???

and I am not kidding.

[Last Dakotan]

How does one make an apology for another person anyway?

Ask Bill Clinton - he got good at it.

[free_life]

To apologize for Christians wouldn't they have to be Christians first?

[doc1019]

The church on earth may apologize … I don’t think GOD is apologizing for His word.

I have yet to hear His (GOD’s) apology; don’t think I will anytime soon.

[phillyfanatic]

From observation, readings, commentaries, no one has been 'saved' in the Episcopal Church since Henry the VIII. Just kidding, of course!!! Actually, one reading their statements over the last 50 years, one has to come to the conclusion that they look like the Church of Laodicea in Rev. 3!

[PzLdr]

And when did Episcopalians get permission to apologize for the Church of Rome?

[hellbender]

"children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church."

'My congregation is open to anybody who wants to come,’"

"All persons?" "Anybody?" Think about it. Apparently Muslims, terrorists, atheists, satanists, and Wiccans are all equally welcome in today's Episcopal church!

[dk/coro]

I am ashamed to say at one juncture in my life -- many years ago -- I was a card-carrying member of the Church of England -- Little Black Book of Common Prayer and all.

Well, funny thing happened on the way to Viet Nam ! This time for my first tour...this one in-country.

Archbishop Pike was in his heyday on the Left Coast -- circa 1966 -- and I was essentially persona-non-grata in the little Parish Church at Inverness, in Marin County, where I had settled the family, near my wife's folks.

Needless to say, I tossed the Book of Common Prayer in the trash -- and have never set foot in an Episcopalian Church since. The Church has politicized (and discreditited) itself completely out of relevancy within the community of Christianity, IMO.

[Regulator]

The Takeover proceeds apace.

Wonder when they vote to sell the properties and start cashing in.

[GretchenM]

When I consider that there is incalculable damage to American society by the breakdown of the family as the chief social unit when alternative sexual lifestyles are promoted, I have to ask who else might need to be included in the list of people drawing up apologies.

I am sorry for the torment lived out by homosexuals and lesbians but I am also sorry for the way our society is falling apart as we embrace the activities that spit in the face of God's laws and call it correct. And if the church is going to stand around and apologize, instead of evangelize, we aren't going to see many people coming out of the bondage of homosexuality.

[upchuck]

Looks like I picked a bad week to become an Episcopalian.

[wizr]

Uh...read Romans, Chapter 1. Get back to me. Do we REALLY think that gays need an apology?

Nope.

[Intolerant in NJ]

The resolution, which is expected to go before the full Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina this morning, would also affirm homosexuals as "children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church."...it's certainly strange that the same breed of "progressives" who see no problem with claiming that they "support the troops" but "hate the war" can't seem to get it through their oh-so-sophisticated heads that Christians and Jews can condemn the homosexual lifestyle and still consider homosexuals "...children of God who have a full and equal claim....." and all the rest of it.......

[DWPittelli]

I don't have a dog in this fight, being not Episcopal nor otherwise churched, but it seems to me that the Episcopal Church has a real crisis of identity on its hands.

What I'd like to know is when the Episcopalians will have the clarity and moral fortitude to say that the canonical Bible is wrong.

Naturally, most Christians ignore a lot of the Commandments in the Pentateuch (about homosexuality and other things). That's relatively easy, because it is the oldest part of the Bible, it's unclear who wrote it down and exactly how the words were inspired by God, and it has a lot of archaic stuff essentially everyone Christian believes was either always a mistaken interpretation of God's will, or was fitting to a time and people, but not us now, like ancient understandings about a God who apparently commands genocide, killing witches, not eating pork -- but we have to conclude that St. Paul's epistles (themselves much of the reason that Christians have been released from much of the Jewish 813 Commandments) should be cast out of the Bible.

Because while Paul preached that Gentiles could become Christians without Jewish rituals such as circumcision or keeping kosher, the poor deluded fool was blinded by his "uptight" and homophobic nature to oppose fornication and gay sex for everyone.

So who will cast out Paul, and say he's no longer a Saint? Is the Episcopal Church going to renounce Paul? Or is the Episcopal Church just going to renounce selected teachings of "Saint" Paul, so that they can continue to read 1 Corinthians at weddings gay and straight?

[sionnsar]

Anglican ping -- just passing through really quickly after & before loong days of meetings and saw this...

[Huber]

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[ChessExpert]

The civil rights arguments and the comparisons to blacks are bogus. Men having anal sex with men is a choice, not an identity.

[boop]

Well put. Are they APOLOGIZING for the Bible?