Posted on 08/04/2003 5:43:13 PM PDT by churchillbuff
The following e-mail was forwarded to all the Bishops whose names and e-mail addresses are on the General Conference Bishops List.
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2003 8:57PM
Subject: THe vote about Gene
I did not believe it would come to this.
PLEASE DO allow the development of some sort of blessing of committed same-sex relationships. That symbolism is important and overdue.
However, PLEASE DO NOT consent to the consecration of Gene Robinson as a bishop. Better a suspension of all the rules and tradition and a draft of Louis Crew from the floor than approval of Gene Robinson!
If you knew that a married straight male priest known for big parish leadership and fundraising as well as prophetic theological outspokenness was also a grab-assing skirt-chaser whose improprieties has nearly brought law suits against the church, would you even hesitate to withhold consent for such a priest to be consecrated a bishop in the apostolic succession?
Well, as outstanding as Gene Robinson may have been thus far as a priest and diocesan administrator, my personal experience of him is that he has does not maintain appropriate boundaries with men. I believe this is an alarming weakness of character that alone makes Gene unsuitable for the office of bishop.
When I first encountered Gene at a Province 1 convocation a couple of years ago he put his hands on me inappropriately every time I engaged him in conversation. NO GAY MAN HAS EVER BEHAVED TOWARDS ME THIS WAY -- and I have had over 25 years of associations with gay male colleagues in the Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego show business communities.
If I were a straight woman reporting heterosexual harassment by a straight male priest, would you hesitate to take the matter seriously? Well, I am a straight man reporting homosexual harassment by a gay male priest from another diocese.
Now I thank you for your prayerful consideration before you vote.
David Lewis
In other words, a meat market.
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