Posted on 04/03/2006 3:54:14 PM PDT by dukeman
The liberal leadership of the American Anglican Church is preparing for an unexpected climb-down over homosexuality which could save the worldwide Church from schism.
Three years after consecrating Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop, the American bishops appear close to bowing to international pressure and shelving their radical agenda at a conference in June. Leaks from a private meeting of the bishops in North Carolina last week suggest that they will "repent" for plunging Anglicanism into turmoil by consecrating Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire.
They are also likely to come into line with the rest of the worldwide Church by backing an indefinite ban on the blessing of gay "marriages" and they may even apologise for having authorised them in the past. Though they appear reluctant to impose an outright bar on the future election of gay bishops, the majority seem willing to back a call for dioceses to exercise "very considerable caution" before doing so.
According to several bishops who attended last week's meeting, they would block the consecration of a second openly homosexual bishop if the diocese of California elects a lesbian or a gay man in May. Three of the seven candidates for the high-profile post have gay partners.
Until now, the majority of American bishops have refused to compromise their liberal ideals, despite the fury of conservatives from Africa and Asia and appeals by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.
They have argued that the equal treatment of homosexuals is a matter of justice which overrides the Church's official teaching that active homosexual clergy and gay "marriage" are contrary to the Scriptures.
However, it appears that the threat of expulsion from the worldwide Church has concentrated their minds and, though they refuse to admit that they were wrong in principle, they may concede that they should not have acted unilaterally.
Their potential U-turn, which risks infuriating the influential gay rights lobby in America, has been outlined in an unofficial e-mail circulated last week by the Bishop of Arizona, the Rt Rev Kirk Smith. He disclosed that the bishops had been briefed about a series of resolutions to be presented to a meeting in June of the American Episcopal Church's General Convention, its equivalent of the Church of England's General Synod.
He expected the resolutions would be passed by the convention and said they represented the desire of the bishops "not to do anything that would further jeopardise our standing with the rest of the Communion".
He added: "I think one might say this represents a 'go slow' approach for our church. Without backing away from decisions we have made, it is nonetheless a clear message that we will work to conform to the requests of the majority of the Anglican Communion."
The Rev Richard Kirker, general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said liberals would be furious if the convention backed down. He added: "Not even the General Convention can stop the inevitable flow of history."
"American Anglican Church"
Never heard of 'em.
"Mistakes were made."
Nothing is preventing homosexuals from forming their own churches.
But we all know that homosexual activists have no interest in joining our churches of the purpose of building up the community of Faith. The homosexual agenda is purely on of infiltration and dismantlement from within.
I say this all the time... Gay Marriage is an attempt to force churches open to gay weddings. It is not about any of the secular reasons given for recognition of same sex couples. If it was just about the spousal benefits and inheritence rights, that could be accomplished by pursuing the spiritually lesser but legally equal standing of civil union.
This was in a UK paper...and they've never heard of "Episcopalian" (and certainly not ECUSA) either... The denomination is known as "Anglican" everywhere in the world BUT the USA.
It is the single largest Protestant denomination in the world.
The title is in error. This is the Episcopal church (ECUSA), not The American Anglican Church which is, I believe, one of the Continuing churches. (I finally found a new link after their old one went dead about a year and a half ago.)
(Yes, Jonathan Petre called it that, but he was in error.)
Homosexuality behavior = death.
Death of the human soul; death of organizations; death of churches; death of society.
Interesting, thanks.
You're welcome. A while ago I looked up the various North American Anglican groups for the website in my tagline -- though sometimes it's hard to keep the names straight...
Oh, come on! They're less than two percent of the population but 40 percent of the short list for the office of bishop?
This is way beyond weird.
Yes. But I say it's more than that -- it's the blade of the spear which is meant to penetrate first, to cut a path for greater damage to follow. If churches can be made to not only tolerate, but to accept and even consecrate homosexuals, worse will follow. Same for society. The evil one must damage the true church to flourish, and homosexual activists are plainly his scouts.
Money Talks.
"Until now, the majority of American bishops have refused to compromise their liberal ideals..."
The physical lives of brothers and sisters in Africa and spiritual lives of those in the USA mean nothing. Kinda makes me think of the anti-war protesters who value Saddam's way of life over freedom.
I'm not buying it. If there's one thing I have learned in my life, it's that leftists never admit they may have made a mistake, never apologize for anything they have done, never compromise even a bit when it comes to jamming their depravity and deviancy down our throats, and absolutely never repent for anything.
These things wouldn't even cross their minds - after all, it's we who are the sick and twisted and evil ones, in their view. FGS, these people still refuse to admit that the Rosenbergs really were communist spies!
I agree with you. I ain't buying it!
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