Episcopal Priest Resigns Amid Gay Debate - Donors Threaten Money Withdrawal (Rome, Georgia)

MyWay News ^

[Happy2BMe]

Episcopal Priest Resigns Amid Gay Debate

 

Oct 27, 3:38 AM (ET)

ROME, Ga. (AP) - An Episcopal priest who wrote an article sympathetic to the church's confirmation of an openly gay priest as a bishop resigned from a private religious school after administrators asked him to apologize to dozens of people upset with his views.

John Merchant, 57, became chaplain at Darlington School, a nondenominational preparatory school, during the summer. He wrote a column for the student newspaper about the Episcopalian church's confirmation of V. Gene Robinson as Episcopal bishop in New Hampshire.

Merchant wrote in the Sept. 3 column in The Darlington that God is more concerned with spirituality than sexual orientation.

"I didn't have to ponder where I stood," Merchant told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for a story in Monday's editions. "But I took time to keep it brief and try to explain my beliefs. I was trying to convey it in a positive way."

After the column appeared, school president David Hicks and headmaster David Rhodes told Merchant that some school donors were considering withdrawing their support at the academy. They asked him to initiate between 50 and 75 one-one-one meetings over a month to apologize to individuals upset with the article.

Merchant refused, calling the request "morally and academically intolerable," and resigned. He provided the Sept. 30 letter in which Hicks and Rhodes made the demand to the Rome News-Tribune.

Neither Rhodes nor Hicks responded to repeated requests by a Journal-Constitution reporter for interviews. Calls were referred to Atlanta media consultant Chuck Nekvasil.

"We believe in all sincerity that it's time for the healing to begin and time to move on," Nekvasil said.

[Happy2BMe]

What part of "NO" don't gay sympathisers understand?

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

AJC will no doubt nominate him for sainthood.

[Happy2BMe]

The Episcopalian Church will split world-wide very shortly over this.

And rightfully so.

[tkathy]

The care and nurturing of young people is a sacred trust. Those who violate this trust in the name of religion have harmed all religion.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

E-piss-copulation churches make handy urinals. Whenever you have the chance, why not? Piss on the wall.

[Gil4]

Merchant refused, calling the request "morally and academically intolerable," and resigned.

Don't go away mad - just go away.

[freeangel]

Spirituality come from obeying Gods laws. Don't let the door hit you on the way out MR. merchant

[Marauder]

It never ceases to amaze me how some people can read all of the explicitly clear Biblical caveats explaining God's position on the homosexual issue, then somehow come to the conclusion that it's "really OK" to have a rump-riding bishop. As if God didn't really mean what He said.

I'm glad this bozo resigned; I wish Robinson would, but I know he won't.

[Huber]

I'm glad this bozo resigned; I wish Robinson would, but I know he won't.

It is better that Robinson does not resign. This thing needs to come to a head, and folks need to understand which side their church is on. Robinson resigning might end up sweeping the whole issue under a rug, which would only allow the rot to continue within mainstream churches.

BTW, all of you frustrated conservative Episcopalians might like to know that the orthodox Anglican Mission in America is growing nicely through all this!

[steve8714]

He would be more at home in the applied religious philosophy where every man is his own God, and which will have no name in this post.

[goresgottago]

I'm sure that everyone has heard this by now.....but did you know that Episcopalians can no longer play chess......can't tell the bishop from the queen!

[VRWC_minion]

And Robinson will not see any responsibility for this.

[Redbob]

Yes; I learned over the weekend the Dallas Diocese is permanently withholding payments to the national church, and will instead be investing that half-mil in locally-designated mission projects.

[Middle Man]

I grew up in the Episcopal church. A generation ago, it was the schism over the Book of Common Prayer. Now it's gays in the priesthood. It's no wonder the charismatic denominations are exploding in growth and the mainline Protestant ones are shrinking.

[Happy2BMe]

I saw on the news last week that the American Episcopal Church is about to be declared apostate by the Church of England.

Have you heard anything on this?

[MEGoody]

Merchant refused, calling the request "morally and academically intolerable,"

So it's 'morally and academically intolerable' to apologize for writing an offensive piece in a newspaper for kids, but not 'morally and academically intolerable' to be a pervert but claim to have been annointed by God.

[MEGoody]

"And Robinson will not see any responsibility for this."

Maybe not in THIS life.

[Happy2BMe]

"So it's 'morally and academically intolerable' to apologize for writing an offensive piece in a newspaper for kids, but not 'morally and academically intolerable' to be a pervert but claim to have been annointed by God."

At this point, I find it refreshing to see any resistance to homosexuality still left in the Episcopalians.

And holding out the money is a great place to start.