Anglican Split Feared as Gay Bishop Is Consecrated (Can you say apostacy?)

wbur.org ^

[Happy2BMe]

Anglican Split Feared as Gay Bishop Is Consecrated
(2003-11-02)

By Greg Frost

DURHAM, N.H. (Reuters) - The Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson was consecrated on Sunday as the first openly gay bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, a move that threatens to tear apart the worldwide Anglican community.

The Most Rev. Frank Griswold, presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, consecrated Robinson amid cheers and applause from the several thousand people who gathered under tight security for the ceremony in a college sports arena.

Robinson, his voice trembling, told the congregation he felt deeply honored but also urged compassion toward church members angered and upset by his consecration.

"Our God will be served if we are hospitable and loving and caring toward them," said the new bishop, wearing a robe of gold, red and green. "If they must leave, they will always be welcomed back into our fellowship."

Earlier, in a sanctioned but tension-filled protest, opponents formally voiced their objection to installing an openly gay man as bishop.

Griswold interrupted one cleric as he launched into a graphic description of homosexual acts. Another woman said that consecrating Robinson would tear at the fabric of the worldwide church.

"To press forward with this consecration will be to turn our back on Almighty God," she said. "The vast majority of Anglicans worldwide have told us not to take this step."

The opponents walked out after making their statements. Moments later, Griswold asked those remaining if Robinson, a 56-year-old divorced father, should be ordained a bishop.

"That is our will!" the congregation chanted loudly.

LIBERAL WING

Robinson, who has lived with his male partner for 13 years, has pleaded for unity. But conservatives warn that his installation may split the 70-million-member Anglican Communion.

The church's Lambeth Conference of 1998 held that the Anglican communion regards homosexual practice as "incompatible with scripture" and condemned the blessing of same-sex unions.

The Rev. Canon David Anderson, president of the American Anglican Council, called Robinson's consecration "schismatic" and said his group was already preparing to lead a break from the more liberal wing of the U.S. Episcopal Church.

"I would anticipate that by tomorrow morning, statements of repudiation will be coming in from primates (church leaders) around the world," Anderson said in a telephone interview from Atlanta, Georgia.

Sky News broadcast the service live in Britain, a sign of the keen interest the event generated in the home of the 450-year-old Anglican Church.

Outside the arena, mounted police stood by as protesters opposed the church for appointing an openly gay bishop and members of the congregation hailed the historic event.

"This is a wonderful situation," said John Ebel, a Roman Catholic from Buffalo, New York. "I admire the Episcopal church for recognizing Gene's skill and ability to be bishop."

But others, including members of a Baptist church from Kansas, shouted at participants and waved neon-colored placards with homophobic messages like "God Hates Fags."

Some members of the U.S. church have said they plan to ask Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican faith, for permission to separate from the Episcopal Church.

Williams has said Robinson should not have been elected a bishop because he is a practicing homosexual. The archbishop spoke last month of a "huge crisis looming" as a result.

[Aliska]

It sounds to me like both. Yes, the same punishment as Sodom and Gomorrah for those (like me) who object. And yes, it is ironic that they chose that scripture.

Anyone who opposes the agenda is a hatefilled bigot and homophobe. That's how they attempt to shut people up.

Personally I think they are gambling that in another generation or two, they will prevail and the old fogeys who objected will be dead.

"He who hears you (VGR) hears me." I'm not listening to that bs.

[Happy2BMe]

"Personally I think they are gambling that in another generation or two, they will prevail and the old fogeys who objected will be dead."

hehe . . Someone has it all under control.

Matthew 24
³⁶   But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
³⁷   But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
³⁸   For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

[Aliska]

I guess what bothers me the most is what we have here is a new religion which has succeeded in hijacking an old one. 'Twould have been more honest of them to start a new church altogether if that's what they want. Instead they steal one. Maybe it is time to pay the piper for Henry VIII; I don't know.

Then they have played with my mind over this to the extent that I wonder if I'm wrong and we are supposed to get with the program. All the while, I as a single, know that if I succumb to the sin of fornication, I don't and can't excuse it and call it what is, sin. Just like Jesus did.

What they have so conveniently forgotten is that he told the adultress to go and sin no more less a worse thing come upon her. I suppose that doesn't apply to men because it isn't in the bible. What is in the bible meant something else and for 2000 years people were too stupid to interpret it correctly. That's how they think.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Robinson, his voice trembling, told the congregation he felt deeply honored but also urged compassion toward church members angered and upset by his consecration.

Trembling! Ha! If he was an honorable man, he would have declined the position in order not to cause dissension and a likely rift in the church. It's obvious that his ego is too big. He's holding the entire *communion* hostage by his selfish actions.

[Happy2BMe]

"He's holding the entire *communion* hostage by his selfish actions."

A House divided against itself cannot stand."

Doesn't this ploy sound familiar - smite the shepherd and the flock will scatter.

[Happy2BMe]

This brood of vipers knows no sin - a seared conscience no longer senses it . . .

1 Timothy 4
¹   Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
²   Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

[harmony]

Ok, now I know what ULTRABIG FONT truly is, I'm sorry I asked.

"No "Banish them!" line exists within my text !!!"

It's hyperbole. When you screamed (I refuse to repeat this back in all caps) "Why is this allowed to continue in this once-free republic[excessive punctuation here]", I assumed by "this", you meant being Queer, and that the object of your hysterical rhetoric was to emphasise what a terrible affront to civilisation anal sex is. The best way I could think of to sum up the whole unhinged tone of your post, whilst simultaneously trying to inject some humour into what I consider to be a pretty distasteful post, was to paraphrase you as shouting "Banish them!".

Of course, you've spoilt it now. Now I've just unecessarily increased the entropy in universe by typing this response, because you find it easier to believe that I can't read, rather than that I might not always be blindingly obviously literal in everything that I write.

And after all of that, I don't really care what your answer is anymore. Blame my short attention span. But as I hate to waste posts, I'll ask a different question: you are making links between homosexuality and pedophilia. Do you have a source? I hear that sort of thing said around these parts a lot, but I'm wondering if y'all have some favourite author on these matters you'd like to share so I can check it out for myself (but if it's Cameron, forget I asked).

"Don't squat with your spurs on !!! ;-))"

{laughs} I have no idea what that means, but it sounds funny, so I'm going to start saying it from now on.

[Aliska]

1 Timothy 4 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

To them that would be conservatives who have been seduced by the devils of hatred and bigotry.

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Again, that would be conservatives who are full of hatred and bigotry. You know, those who were inhospitable, blah blah, conservatives who "don't get it" that the bible meant homosexuality is ok in a committed relationship, blah blah.

~The gospel according to VGJ and his followers and supporters.

You got it right imo. Good scripture.

[narses]

So your contention is that Henry VIII LIBERATED the Church Christ founded from 1,500 years of Roman persecution? Is that a correct understanding of your position?

[narses]

Thanks. Perhaps said more clearly, I am hoping they will REJOIN the Catholic Church that they left in favor of the secular usurper Henry VIII.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

A mass murderer who killed his own wives discovered Christianity in the 1500s? How...um...ahem...likely is that?

They should stick to golfing.

[narses]

Imagine That!

[TradicalRC]

He just doesn't get it; there IS NO back to be welcomed to.

[TradicalRC]

Give me a break. All of England belonged to the "Church of Rome" until Henry the Eighth wanted a divorce. This was the humble beginning of the Anglican church.

But, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Please name some Pillars of the Anglican Church prior to Henry VIII. I can name several Roman Catholics.

[TradicalRC]

Hey Elsie, we're sympatico! I love those passages in Scripture; the first one tells us the nature of government and why it exists and the second one tells us the nature of democracy.

[Happy2BMe]

"I can name several Roman Catholics."

Was not the first Pope also the last Ceasar?

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

And when that happens, I punch out of the ELCA.

Its not a matter of if, but when as they are headed down the same dirt road...so to speak.

I'm in the process of drafting my letter right now..I'm not resigning from the congregation, but the ELCA. It would be one thing if the pastors were resisting the sexuality studies and inevitable gayening. They are on board and its sick

Before you leave, be sure the people in the pews know what is happening with their money....the ELCA is using it to support the gay movement, radical environmental movement, and unmitigated immigration just to start. Go to their web page. The sexuality studies are designed to gray everything, thus making the transition easier for the congregations to swallow...so to speak.

[TradicalRC]

The church has not been so liberal as it is today in this progressive era in these United States.
In 1968 the number of annulments was less than 600; now the Catholic Church in America is granting about 60,00 per annum. A nice, round 10,000% increase in the last 35 years.

I am told that it is logically fallacious to connect this in any way with Vatican II, um, so I won't.

And as long as we're at it, the USA accounts for 6% of the world's Catholics and 78% of the annulments. Hmmm.

[TradicalRC]

How Does a godless heathen like you KNOW what's not cool? Is it just random?

[Happy2BMe]

"The sexuality studies are designed to gray everything, thus making the transition easier for the congregations to swallow...so to speak."

Dreadful thought - YUCK!