Why I have been quiet! ["Same-Sex Affection, Holiness, and Ordination"]

July 13, 2005, a message from Peter Toon

I have seemingly been silent for the last month or so. No tracts have gone forth from my computer to my list of friends and interested parties.

The truth of the matter is that I have been working very hard. Now I break my silence as to what I have been doing

First, in preparing sermons for delivery in St Thomas Parish, Houston (to read and to hear them visit the website of the church, www.stthomashouston.org ) ;

Secondly, in re-writing my book of 1992 entitled, Knowing God through the Liturgy. In its new form it will be entitled, Worship without Dumbing Down: Knowing God through Liturgy (Prayer Book Society USA and Edgeways Books UK, late August 2005).

Thirdly, in writing a substantial reply to the book offered to the whole Anglican Communion by the Episcopal Church of the USA in explanation of its latest innovations in sexual relations and ordination. The book, from Bishop Griswold and his team and published by the Episcopal Church, is entitled, TO SET OUR HOPE ON CHRIST, which is based on 1 Peter 1:3 and is, I regret to say, a total misuse of that verse.

My reply is entitled: SAME-SEX AFFECTION, HOLINESS AND ORDINATION. A RESPONSE TO PRESIDING BISHOP FRANK.T GRISWOLD. You may read it on the website of St Thomas Church or on the website of the Prayer Book Society (www.episcopalian.org/pbs1928 ) from July 13.

It will be published as a booklet of 64 pages by The Preservation Press of the Prayer Book Society of the USA in mid-August for $7.50, postage included. There will be special prices for orders of 5 and more. Call 1-800-727-1928 from August lst to order.

I show (a) that the innovatory doctrine of the Episcopal Church is not a genuine development of doctrine, but the very opposite; (b) that its claimed scriptural basis is non-existent; and (c) that the theological method used by the Bishop and his team is of such a kind as to lead to heresies and errors. I appeal to them to reconsider their position and to examine carefully the received teaching of the Catholic Church on chastity, celibacy and marriage, and also to change their theological method, which exalts contemporary “experience”.

The Prayer Book Society hopes that this response will demonstrate to Episcopalians in the USA and to Anglicans overseas that not all those who call themselves Episcopalians or Anglicans in the USA have accepted the innovations in doctrine and morality that the Episcopal Church has adopted since the 1960s. Of these, the doctrines that same-sex affection is holy before God and that persons in same-sex unions may be ordained as priests and consecrated as bishops are but the latest, and, of course, the ones in which the media has the greatest interest.

The Society also hopes that concerned Episcopalians will help to distribute this substantial booklet far and wide as a testimony for Basic Christianity and traditional Christian teaching on sexual relations between male and female. After all, the classic Book of Common Prayer is the Liturgy of Basic Christianity, its faith and morals.

The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon MA., D.Phil (Oxford)

SAME-SEX AFFECTION, HOLINESS AND ORDINATION. A RESPONSE TO PRESIDING BISHOP FRANK.T GRISWOLD

The Episcopal Church provided without embarrassment for the Anglican Communion of Churches in late June of 2005 its explanation and justification of one of its major doctrinal and moral innovations in recent times – the blessing of same-sex couples and the ordaining of persons in such unions, specifically that in which Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, is a partner. The Church did this in a book entitled, To Set Our Hope on Christ.

We all know that the Prayer Book Society is primarily in the business of keeping the latest edition of the genuine American Book of Common Prayer, that of 1928, in print. However, it also has the vocation of commending and defending the religion of the Prayer Book and helping people understand the godly form of behavior and worship contained in the Book. Therefore, in this situation, where the Episcopal Church is obviously denying the biblical doctrine of holiness and purity, the biblical doctrine of sexual relations and marriage, and the biblical & patristic doctrine of ordination contained in The Book of Common Prayer, the Prayer Book Society believed it had to something immediately.

The Prayer Book Society had to act to let Americans know that not all Episcopalians accept the innovations which have seriously affected the Episcopal Church since the 1960s. It had to act to let the 70 millions of Anglicans overseas know that not all Episcopalians in the USA support the position taken by the leadership of this Church. Most importantly it had to act in defense of biblical faith and practice, scriptural teaching and morality. In other words, it had to speak out in favor of the traditional Christian doctrine of sexual relations and the traditional Anglican understanding of the Ministry in the Church.

In his vigorous and learned reply to the Presiding Bishop’s team, Dr Toon explains how it is that these clergy and professors, who are sincere Christians, can actually support and defend theologically such a practice as same-sex affection and also actually claim that genuine holiness is found in such unions. Put simply, their theological method is wholly wrong!

This booklet commends biblical, traditional orthodoxy and at the same time shows the grievous error of the Presiding Bishop and his team in their public commendation of same-sex affection as holiness before God. It ends with an appeal to them to look again at where they are, to consider devoutly traditional faith and practice, and to repudiate as gross error what they have sent to the whole Anglican Family.
We invite you to buy multiple copies of this large booklet (at special prices) and distribute it widely in the Episcopal Church. It should be ready for mailing by mid-August 2005. Meanwhile read it on this website.

...their theological method, which exalts contemporary “experience”.

The authors of the bogus ELCA "Journeying Together Faithfully (?) Part II" (as well as the groups of mis-leaders that have subsequently come out with pro-"gay" proposals to our upcoming Churchwide Assembly) cite scripture, science, and contemporary “experience” as the basis for making decisions in this area. However, their scriptural exegesis is twisted like a pretzel, and their "science" is pseudo-science. Therefore, they are left ONLY with “experience”, and only with the “experience” of the gaysbians.

Some 60-75% of ELCA laity (based not only on responses to JTFII, but also on other, independent surveys) oppose ALL the revisionist proposals before the CWA next month!!!! Nevertheless, the mis-leaders and their deluded compatriots refuse to listen to the orthodox laity, and blithely continue pushing the gaysbian, feminazi, and liberal Protestant nonsense and poison down our throats.

The mis-leaders are counting on a docile Lutheran laity that will ignore how they (not to mention our Lord) are being dismissed and disrespected at every turn, and who will just stay in place and keep paying their benevolence. However, the mis-leaders are very, very wrong!!!! There is a great storm coming!!!!

To aberaussie--all the best to you when you go to the CWA in Orlando next month!

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