Posted on 01/03/2007 2:50:15 PM PST by XR7
Colin Coward, left, welcomes Bishop Gene Robinson in November 2005 (BBC News) |
A report claiming at least 51 priests are in same-sex civil partnerships will confront the Church of England at two major upcoming meetings.
The figures, which include four lesbian priests, come from a homosexual-rights group comprised of church members called Changing Attitude, the Times of London reported.
"Civil partnerships have helped to increase the stability of same-sex relationships and reduced the social exclusion to which lesbian and gay people are often subjected," said the group's director, Colin Coward.
But next month, proponents of homosexuals in the clergy will face two significant challenges. Traditionalists say they will force an open debate at the General Synod meeting. And in Tanzania, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, likely will face criticism from leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion, to which the Church of England belongs. In the U.S., the Anglican Communion is represented by the Episcopal Church
The summit in Africa, in fact, was called to address division in the church caused by the ordination of Episcopal homosexual priest Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. The rift over homosexuality, however, has been a major issue for more than three decades, reflecting a deeper divide over biblical orthodoxy.
Church of England bishops have been criticized for not enforcing a church policy requiring homosexual clergy to be celibate before entering into any civil partnership, the Times reported.
"Many of these people have defied the guidance," said George Curry, chairman of the Church Society, the oldest evangelical organization in the Church of England. "These are men and women who are in active sexual relationships. These figures expose the bishops' failure of leadership."
Among the prominent church leaders in civil partnerships is Canon Jeremy Davies, worship leader at Salisbury Cathedral, who is with an opera singer, Simon McEnery.
Paul Collier, a chaplain at Goldsmiths College, London, said he received little questioning from his bishop before entering into a civil partnership with his companion of seven years.
Collier said Christopher Chessun, bishop of Woolwich, wanted him to acknowledge the policy of the bishops but did not inquire about the nature of his relationship.
"We didn't go into any great detail about that," Collier said, according to the London paper.
Ugh.
Sounds like the Anglican/Episcopal church is the latest of the mainstream denominations to go atheist.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Is it possible to give trade the Church of England to the Muslims for a few million barrels of oil. It certainly isn't of any use to Christianity.
Degenerates hiding behind the cloak of God is degeneracy at its finest and most horrifying.
Rev. 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
Why is it that they never identify "Anglican" priests in the headline? The overwhelmingly large number of "priests" in this country are Roman Catholic.
Sorry my question is somewhat off topic, but can anyone tell me how and when the word, "gay," was ripped from traditional language and slapped onto homosexual men? What was there about that word that made it the suitable choice for abnormal sexual behavior? How did that word go from, light, airy and delightful to perverse, diviant and disgusting? It used to be a very nice word.
King John I tried to trade England and its church to the Muslims to avoid papal authority. The Sultan of Morocco figured any people capable of having such a corrupt ruler weren't worth ruling, and refused his offer. The Catholic Church refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of King John's reign, recognizing instead Arthur, whom Richard III had named as heir.
Arthur was exiled, but ruled over British holdings in France. And yes, it was during his reign and from his lands that knights were assembled to liberate from the Black Knights the Basilica of the Forsaken Virgin and reclaim from within it the Holy Grail. No kidding! The Catholic Church has kept tabs on the Holy Grail in Valencia, Spain, since it was brought there by Emperor Valerius in the 4th century! But, no, of course, he was not the Arthur from much earlier times who conquered all of England, with the supposed aid of a priestly mystic named Merddyn.
Perhaps the Oxford dictionary would have a citation for it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay#History
Intersting.
Ping to you.
As to when, sometime from the late 60s to the mid 70s.
Why would a person who's a colon coward want to be a homosexual?
I could get on board with that.
I'll get it tomorrow if you don't!
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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15
Which is why I never use the word "gay" with reference to homosexuals/homosexuality. Of course this is a futile gesture, but at least for myself I am avoiding further contributing to the perversion of language. It is quite enough that the gift of sexuality is being perverted.
Click here for a long, blow-by-blow account (you should excuse the expression).
Percy Dovetonsils (Ernie Kovaks)
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