Posted on 11/26/2005 10:03:21 AM PST by sionnsar
November 25, 2005
STOCKHOLM, Sweden --The first openly gay Episcopal bishop said Thursday that unity in the Anglican Communion was being challenged by those who oppose the ordainment of gays and lesbians.
The Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire was referring to a letter signed last week by Conservative leaders within the Anglican Communion urging the archbishop of Canterbury to crack down on U.S. and Canadian churches that affirm gay relationships.
"The issue of unity is really being raised by those who are saying we can't stay in a church with a province that would raise up gay and lesbian people" to be ordained, Robinson said during a visit to Sweden.
"I think the archbishop of Canterbury is in a very difficult role right now," he said. "And he is rightfully paying attention to the issue of unity within the Anglican Communion, and certainly that unity is being challenged."
Archbishop Rowan Williams is known to be sympathetic to gay clergy, and he has admitted knowingly ordaining a gay man during his time as archbishop of Wales. As leader of the Anglican Communion, however, Williams has said he is obliged to affirm the communion's official position that homosexual acts are contrary to Biblical teaching. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. province of the 77-million-member Anglican Communion, of which the Church of England is the senior branch.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Waaaah! Poppycock. They challenge the subversion of canon law. Liberals always raise a rhubarb to obscure the point.
Uh, no, gay Gene. Wrong. The Anglican Communion's unity was broken, shredded and burned by you, your uberbishop and your enablers.
Okay, I don't belong to this church and probably have no business in this thread, but IIRC, when Gene Robinson was consecrated, didn't he say that he would not be a gay bishop but instead a bishop who just happened to be gay. In other words, didn't he say he wouldn't use his podium to discuss gay issues? What happened there? It's all I see him talking about.
He lied.
"He lied."
I figured as much. I just haven't met any gay person who didn't make their preference the centerpoint of their lives and demand that to accept them, you have to accept everything about them. Yet I don't know of any straight person who demands that people accept their lifestyle choices or else they scream hate. Too bad.
Sorry about your church, or your former church. I hope you can find one that reflects the gospel as you understand it and that you are happy.
Merry Christmas and remember, wise men still seek Him. And they find Him with our help.
We found a place to light - we're very happy Catholics in an old-fashioned, orthodox parish, with very enthusiastic, believing priests who preach Christ and him crucified EVERY Sunday. Plus we have go-getter laity, and a great choir!
Good for you. Maybe the Episcopal Church will start to realize soon what treasures it is driving away from the church. Right now it seems to believe that members just need a "cooling off" period and things will be back to normal as soon as you schismatic rednecks come to your senses. But people like you won't be back and are "cooling it" in another church. ;)
There are some things it's wrong to be unified with. Unity for the sake of allowing sin is poor unity. Seem to remember + Paul fussing at the Corinthians about stuff like that way back in the day....
But I think the leadership doesn't realize that this stuff is cumulative, and "bishop" Vicki's rudeness, self-centeredness, and exaltation of homosexuality above all else is just the falling rock that keyed the avalanche . . .
You're right. And I believe the stats show that religions which are holding the line against tolerating sin are the ones gaining members while the mainline so-called liberal churches are sinking. Churches are meant to be more than social clubs; they are to challenge us to rise to our eternal potential and to do so isn't supposed to be a walk in the park.
Nevertheless, should your current church show signs of crumbling around the edges, I've a feeling members like you will be right there to set them straight. Best of luck.
Just spent Thanksgiving with my loony-lib sister in law, who has become a Unitarian because it makes her feel warm and fuzzy and she doesn't have to BELIEVE in anything in particular or deal with all those awful concepts of sin and judgment . . .
We had a hellacious argument about music in church. Naturally, her position was "anything that makes you feel good is o.k." . . . and of course I was taking the orthodox Catholic hard line that music should be liturgically appropriate and the best that the choir and congregation are capable of offering to God.
. . . I think I may have gotten through to her when I pointed out that God probably expects that we do our best in His honor (whether our best is Palestrina, or a simple hymn sung respectfully and as tunefully as we know how) . . . because she stomped off in a huff.
Welcome to the Church. It's such joy that wonderful believers are bringing in their spirituality to the Catholic Church. Welcome!
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