Gay priest speaks out about Episcopal Church controversy

"I really don't give my sexuality a second thought here. I think for the most part my parishioners don't either. To them I' m a Priest, and I happen to be gay," said Rev. Michael Hopkins.

Father Michael Hopkins pastors St. Luke & St. Simon Cyrene in Downtown Rochester. He has a personal interest in the current debate over church and sexuality.

"I understand there are going to be people in my church who don't agree with me, in fact who don't think I should be ordained," said Rev. Hopkins.

Among them are the members of the All Saints congregation in Irondequoit.

All Saints was kicked out of the diocese because it refused to make its annual payment to the Diocese after the national Episcopal Church supported the ordaining of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire in 2003

"To do that is to hold the diocese hostage, to say you have to agree with us or we're not going to be apart of you is to hold us hostage, and that's not fair," said Rev. Michael Hopkins.

To help with the ongoing "sexuality" debate the Rochester Diocese has the "Committee for Gay and Lesbian Ministry." The committee's dual purpose is to educate congregations within the diocese and to welcome the gay and lesbian community.

"We think our church is big enough and has historically big enough to hold in tension and in love all of those who want to be together and worship God," said John Bradley, a standing member of the committee.

The diocese has 30 churches that have announced they welcome gays and lesbians. Some members of the committee believe the church has tackled the issues of race and sex, and is now being taught a new lesson.

Now, I think the Holy Spirit teaches the church about the evils of homophobia, discrimination of gay and lesbian people," Bradley said.

The Episcopal Church doesn't stand alone in the debate of sexuality and the church. The issue has become a dividing factor in many protestant churches. The issue is also at the forefront of the Catholic Church. Next week, the Vatican is expected to release a document that bans homosexuals from entering the priesthood.

(A word for Mr. or Mrs. Hopkins....whichever the case may be.)

Dear Mr. Michael Hopkins. As a supposed minister, what part of the following examples from scripture do you NOT understand? Do you even read the Bible? If you are a minister, as you say that you are, you would be reading every word as they are word's from God. A Reverend? - I think NOT!!! Deciever of your followers, YES! You are twisting God's words to suit yourself, and it doesn't get more carnal than that. You are certainly not fooling God. And stop blaming the whole mess on those you affectionately call Homophobics!

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Romans 1:27 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. are not convenient;

Romans 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers

Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Romans 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

Romans 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

"I really don't give my sexuality a second thought here. I think for the most part my parishioners don't either. To them I' m a Priest, and I happen to be gay," said Rev. Michael Hopkins.

Should be:
"I really don't give my sinful fornication a second thought here. I think for the most part my parishioners don't read the bible. To them I' m a Priest, and I happen to be an open faced affront to God," said Rev. Michael Hopkins.

Episcobaalians don't need no steenkeen Bible. They just make excuses for sin up as they go along and call it a "continuing revelation of the Holy Spirit," as though the Spirit talks to anyone outside the Word of God as written in the Scriptures. Episcobaalians are not Christians, according to Jesus, Who said, "IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD, then are you My disciples in deed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) Incidentally, it's amazing to see the multitude of references to "the truth" in Jesus's words in our age that thinks that "truth" is not absolute.

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PUT A SOCK IN IT!