Posted on 02/09/2010 9:19:43 AM PST by marshmallow
The Archbishop of Canterbury today issued a "profound apology" to the lesbian and gay Christian community.
In a powerful address to General Synod Dr Rowan Williams warned that any schism within the church would represent of a "betrayal" of God's mission.
But he made clear that he regretted recent rhetoric in which he has sought to mollify the fears of the traditionalist wing of the church.
The Archbishop is from the Church's liberal Catholic wing and a man who once espoused equal rights for gays within the Church. More recently he has adopted a conservative line for the sake of Church unity.
Today he said: "There are ways of speaking about the question that seem to ignore these human realities or to undervalue them.
"I have been criticised for doing just this and I am profoundly sorry for the carelessness that could give such an impression."
Addressing the even more contentious debate over gay ordinations - something which threatens to split the Church further with the expected consecration in May of lesbian Canon Mary Glasspool as a bishop in Los Angeles - Dr Williams said it had not been helped by those who ignored the fact that many regular worshippers are gay, as well as many "sacrificial and exemplary priests".
He made it clear there was blame on all sides of the argument that has brought the Church to the brink of splitting. He pleaded for Anglicans battling over gays and women bishops to cease fighting, admitting that he and other bishops might have to settle for a two-tier communion if it is to survive at all.
In his wide-ranging address at Church house Westminster, Dr Williams made clear that the ordination of women bishops should not go ahead at the expense of the Church's Anglican Catholic wing................,
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Theology by Committee is a slippery road leading to nothing.
no wonder Christ is unwanted in Britain...and to think all the lives lost there for so many hundreds of years over how to worship.
all for naught..
Damn shame...literally
Let’s see how much of a “lesbian and gay Christian community” there is at the Great White Throne judgement when G*D says to them “depart from me I NEVER knew you”!
The "liberal Catholic wing" of the Church of England? How many contradictions in one sentence?
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
When a religious leader bases his teachings on the polls, it’s not going to work out well long term IMHO. A church either has “the truth” or it doesnt. If it changes with the winds it means and stands for nothing.
Perhaps he should schedule a trip to Israel to dig up Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize to them for a "rash" action on God's part.
Especially since the church is so much more enlightened now.
The church of “Cake or Death?” is doomed to irrelevancy.
I’m guessing the author knows very little about the Catholic Church or the history of the Church of New Muzzieland
If you can’t tell where he stands, then he stands against God.
It is a never-fail test.
Words fail me.
Schism is not intiated by the faithful, but the faithless.
Go suck a rock, Rowan.
My guess is we won’t be getting a “flee from the wrath to come” message from the archbishop.
That was pretty good.
There is no such thing as a Gay Christian. Saddam and Gamora comes to mind.
I’m sure there are gays in many congregations. There are also many theives, liars, blashpemers, adulterers, and other assorted sinners.
The mistake he made was in singling out one clearly sinful thing and excuse it as ‘normal’.
We’re all broken, none are worthy, none. How this idiot has lost sight of that and let his church be ripped apart when he saw the VERY SAME THING happen to the Episcopalians is just breathtaking.
Goes to show you the consequences of the Protestant Reformation.
I beg to differ with you, it goes to show you the consequences of SIN.
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