Posted on 02/09/2007 5:21:48 PM PST by sionnsar
The former Archbishop of Canterbury on the Current Unpleasantness:
One possible future for a minority will sadly be to leave the Communion altogether. In America some of the most faithful clergy and most able laypeople have already departed and more are likely to follow. They are leaving out of despair. They feel they are not heeded, valued or respected. Some of them are extraordinarily gifted theologians and teachers who feel they have no future in a body that was once their church. Some of them will leave for the Roman Catholic Church which has for many become an attractive alternative with strong leadership rooted in the faith and traditions of the Church. Others of course, will leave for alternative Anglican structures that will allow them the freedom to get on with the task of preaching the gospel without this debate occupying all their time and energy.
How does one respond to such a turbulent situation?
As someone who has invested a great deal of time in ecumenical debate I am very conscious that once Christians separate the chances of reconciliation are daunting indeed. An illustration of this is the Church of England/Methodist talks in the UK. Although Methodism and Anglicanism in the UK have so much in common, organic unity still eludes us. The fact is that once groups divide, the journey back into full unity often never happens.
Perhaps, then, in the present tense situation I may plea for patience. The Primates who will gather shortly in Tanzania know how critical the times are and to them is entrusted the task of finding a solution to heal our sharp divisions. The establishment of an Anglican covenant is a task that may take years rather than days, weeks and months. It will require much hard and honest talking and no little patience and Christian love. The duty of leaders is to stay at the table, contributing to the debate as long as it takes. The imperative of unity in fact requires all Anglican leaders to desist from threats to withdraw, or refusing to talk to others. But allied to that must go a generous Christian spirit that is prepared to acknowledge mistakes made, hasty decisions concluded and lack of consultation. The generosity of which I am thinking will include American Church leaders recognizing that the conservative voice has not always been heeded, and that some fine conservative priests have been badly treated. It will, by the same token, require conservative leaders and clergy recognizing also that some behaviour towards their diocesans have fallen short of a spirit that is Christian. If we in this present challenge cannot give an example to the world around us of how Christians behave when we disagree violently, we disgrace our Lord who remains the reconciling God, in spite of what his Church gets up to.
To which Sarah Hey responds:
In fact, the Global South primates, as well as many in ECUSA, seem to be in the process of discovering whether the Anglican Communion will acknowledge and recognize and discipline the gross heresy of ECUSA -- or not. If not, then I suspect that many who are currently within the Anglican Communion will realize that there membership within the Anglican Communion is a terrible mistake as well, since these people would like to be a part of a Christian body. They will then leave the entity to which they have mistakenly belonged and create one where people believe and proclaim the Christian gospel, without allowing people of a different religion entirely to be a leader within it. Right now, again, I suspect that leaders are carefully discerning whether they are rightly within -- or rightly without -- this Anglican body. As a matter of integrity, of course one should not be a member of an organization, entity, religious institution, or body if that body holds core, foundational beliefs antithetical to one’s own.
That is the sort of discernment that I, a lay peon, am engaged in as well -- whether the Anglican Communion is a Christian body or, generally, not intending to be one at all.
Because he is a Christian, an evangelical, a good and faithful man, a person that I respect very deeply, the fact that Archbishop Carey does not recognize that we are dealing with two different and antithetical religions in one religious communion is the single most demoralizing fact that I, a Windsor-loving, Communion conservative, have experienced over the past three years.
Bar none.
Lord Carey is too much the Anglican to grasp what is going on in the Anglican world. "Contributing to the debate as long as it takes?" The Anglican left would be quite happy to debate, consecrating more Gene Robinsons all the while.
"The imperative of unity in fact requires all Anglican leaders to desist from threats to withdraw, or refusing to talk to others?" Since to the Anglican left, "dialogue" is Anglican for "we keep talking until you agree that you're a homophobic bigot," one wonders just why "the imperative of unity" should attract an orthodox Anglican.
The answer's already been decided, Lord Carey. Why we should keep on talking about it escapes me.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Thanks for posting this...well put!
Since to the Anglican left, "dialogue" is Anglican for "we keep talking until you agree that you're a homophobic bigot," one wonders just why "the imperative of unity" should attract an orthodox Anglican.
The answer's already been decided, Lord Carey. Why we should keep on talking about it escapes me.
Well put.
Unfortunately, I'm of the opinion that the split is already done and permanent. I just don't see the two groups ever being able to co-exist and pretend to be one Church. The only thing left to do is the paperwork.
In other words had they made some attempt at debate and discussion instead of sneaking the pro-gay agenda in the back door and then forcing it on everybody something could have been done before the situation got this bad.
In other other words, the horse is already out of the barn.
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