Posted on 10/31/2003 7:49:52 PM PST by UnklGene
'Gay' bishop-elect draws Charles into Church row -
By Jonathan Petre, Religious Affairs Correspondent (Filed: 01/11/2003)
On the eve of his consecration as Anglicanism's first openly homosexual bishop - an event which threatens to tear the worldwide Church apart - Bishop-elect Gene Robinson has drawn the Prince of Wales into the controversy.
He said he did not relish the argument over his election and that it was his desire that the Anglican Communion would hold together.
Gene Robinson will be consecrated as the Bishop of New Hampshire tomorrow But he told The Telegraph that the Church had to modernise its views on morality or face "odd" situations such as the Prince's relationship with his companion Camilla Parker Bowles.
He argued that the two were cohabiting rather than marrying because the rules of the Church of England stopped divorcees remarrying in church.
In fact, the Church of England relaxed its absolute prohibition last year, but it drew up guidelines which could prevent the couple being granted a church wedding.
Bishop-elect Robinson, who will be consecrated Bishop of New Hampshire tomorrow, said that the Church had been willing to change its understanding of the Bible over the centuries, and it should do so now over sexuality.
"We've reinterpreted passages about slavery and the role of women," he said. "We've gone against, absolutely against, the word of Jesus in revising our regard for divorced people who want to remarry.
"We have this very odd situation in Britain with the heir to the throne cohabiting with a woman without the benefit of marriage because the Church over which Charles is going to be head when he becomes king still does not allow remarriage in church. "In this country, we decided it was wrong to deny people Communion at a time when they need it most."
He said that the Church's traditional interpretation of homosexuality was based on passages that do not address the possibility of committed relationships.
"Sodom and Gomorrah is about homosexual rape. St Paul is talking about idolators," he said. "What we're talking about is faithful, monogamous, lifelong-intentioned relationships between people of the same sex.
"I maintain that Scripture simply does not address that issue. I'm not saying that Scripture is explicitly for it. But I don't believe they address that topic."
While distressed by the approaching schism, Bishop-elect Robinson said he was not responsible if other parts of the 70 million-strong worldwide Church decided to distance themselves from him and from the American Episcopal Church. Conservative primates, led by Archbishop Peter Akinola, the Primate of Nigeria, have said they will refuse to recognise the Episcopal Church following the consecration, threatening to plunge the Church into chaos.
"It's very difficult for me to understand how New Hampshire having its own bishop who happens to be gay affects the day-to-day life in a church in Nigeria," said Bishop-elect Robinson. "I'm sorry this puts Rowan Williams in such a difficult position," he added, referring to the dilemma of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is struggling to keep the worldwide Church united. "I think he's done a good job getting everyone to talk and hold the Communion together."
Despite the controversy, Bishop-elect Robinson has retained staunch support in New Hampshire where people have known his ministry for decades.
"Gene is a man of character, great spirituality and depth,' said New Hampshire's retiring bishop, Douglas Theuner. "He has the ability to deal effectively with people and he has demonstrated that in the life of this diocese for 28 years."
More than 6,000 people are expected to attend tomorrow's consecration, when Bishop-elect Robinson will be flanked by his ex-wife, his two daughters and his boyfriend, Mark Andrews.
And there we go again. Leftist degenerates keep telling us that we have the problem and we must change our thoughts.
These people call us nazi's???
What a wonderful phrase this bishop-to-be has come up with! It's clinton-speak for: "We'll split as soon as either of us feels like it!"
Just damn! Proof positive that this 'fivesome' is really an odd number.
Just another reason why this bishop-elect is unfit to head a church or shepherd souls. But then, Prince Charles is the heir to the titular title of this particular Charch, and this just goes to show that there is no such thing as a 'harmless immorality.'
My first thought was that Charles criticizing Robinson was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
But as Evelyn Waugh argues in "Brideshead Revisited," for a believing Christian, the worst kind of sexual sin is to get married illegitimately. A brief affair is less serious than that. If Robinson was unable to resist having a homosexual affair with this guy but still decided to stick with his wife and kids and broken the affair off, at least he would have been trying to do the right thing.
Contrary to what these gay-agenda people say, it's worse for a Christian believer to have a life-long homosexual relationship than it is to fall into an occasion of sin but then repent it. Better, even, to try and fail to straighten out than not to try at all.
Baloney. He doesn't desire it very deeply or he'd have dropped out of contention for the bishopric. As a former Episcopalian, I say with all my heart that the condoning of this abominable situation is worth a church split on the part of those who understand that homosexuality is an accursed practice, regardless of whether it is forced or consensual. Scripture even provides for it by teaching those who live in grace to separate themselves from their brethren who won't repent after two warnings.
I love that series! (excepting the "Orphans in the Storm" episode). There is an almost haunting beauty to the story and the way it was presented on video; it stays with me, anyway. I cried in the final scenes, when Lord Marchmain finally repented. I felt the power of God coming through the movie, the actors, the words, the actions. God's grace and love softly, powerfully, rose and came forth in the humble medium of that movie.
Pax to all my Anglican friends, but the English royalty is not part of the magisterium for Christian doctrine. That was how the whole Church of England thing started, with the King pronouncing himself head of the church and changing Christian doctrine and practice on marriage. Christ founded the church on apostles, not kings. Please pardon this anti-Erastian rant.
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