Gay Episcopalian bishop predicts other churches will welcome gays

Agence France-Presse. | 8/06/03

[kattracks]

The US Episcopal church's first openly gay bishop predicted that other churches would soon follow his denomination's example in welcoming gays into their leadership.

"I suspect that before too very long, other denominations will also follow and welcome openly gay and lesbian people into leadership positions. That's my prayer," Gene Robinson told ABC television on Wednesday.

A majority of the church's House of Bishops on Tuesday voted 62 to 45 to ratify Robinson's appointment as bishop of New Hampshire, church officials said, ending three days of contentious debate.

Conservatives within church ranks, many of whom have fiercely opposed Robinson's election on the grounds it violates Biblical teachings, were quick to express their disapproval, and a group of 24 bishops threatened to resign if he were elected.

"Well, anytime anyone decides to leave the church, it's a very sad thing. And I certainly have been praying and will be praying every day that such a thing does not happen," Robinson said. "Indeed, I don't think it needs to happen."

"The Episcopal Church in this country, and the Anglican community worldwide, the great gift we bring to the world is we are able to maintain a wide diversity of opinions on various issues while holding our faith in Jesus Christ as central and the thing that binds us together as the body of Christ. So I think there's no reason for us to come apart," Robinson said.

The Episcopal Church, the US branch of the Anglican Church, has more than 2.1 million followers, making it the 10th-largest Protestant church in the United States.

[hellinahandcart]

It's up in post #69:

. 26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.

[stands2reason]

In a word, he's unrepentant.

[fooman]

Well said. Now we go after the seminaries or die...

[RussianConservative]

Interesting that it be post #69 ok, I have dirty mind....:0)

[MattGarrett]

2 Timothy 4:3-4
3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Romans 1:21-32
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. 26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

This one is easy. If you belong to one of the following churches which comprise the National Council of Churches, if they don't already embrace homosexuality, it's only a matter of time.

African Methodist Episcopal Church; African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; Alliance of Baptists; American Baptist Churches in the USA; The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; Diocese of the Armenian Church of America; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Church of the Brethren; The Coptic Orthodox Church in North America; The Episcopal Church; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Friends United Meeting; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; Hungarian Reformed Church in America; International Council of Community Churches; Korean Presbyterian Church in America; Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church; Mar Thoma Church; Moravian Church in America Northern Province and Southern Province; National Baptist Convention of America; National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.; National Missionary Baptist Convention of America; Orthodox Church in America; Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA; Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends; Polish National Catholic Church of America; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.; Reformed Church in America; Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada; The Swedenborgian Church; Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch; Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America; United Church of Christ; The United Methodist Church

[wimpycat]

The good news (literally the Good News) is that Robinson and his ilk will never win. They may have won a skirmish, but they won't win the war. Christ will win out over Satan, Good will win out over Evil, and the church will not be destroyed (the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...). The outcome is already decided, so we shouldn't worry about the future, long term.

Of course, the only uncertainty in all this is which side each of us will end up on.

[jacquej]

Geezer! I read through the post you are complaining about, and had a burst of understanding about questions that have bothered me for years.

For example, it dawned on me that certain "right" things I have done over the years, I have attributed to my own free will. What if these were not my doing at all, but God working through me. Free Will, understood within the context of our "choice" could lead to the most deadly sin of all... PRIDE!

I left the Episcopal Church a long time ago, and regret that I did. You see, if I hadn't, I would be able to leave it now.

That said, I think God has the ability to write straight with our crooked lines. How many of us are being led by this awful example of sin in the Episcopal Church to think through our relationship with God, to think seriously about moral truths, to want to walk closer to Him.

Just a thought...

[stands2reason]

It hurts me to see so many Orthodox Churches on that list...

[Matchett-PI]

"People might actually read your posts if tehy were a bit shorter..."

Think so?

I don't.

Even if my post was shorter it still wouldn't be of interest to ANY of those in the pious man-centered religions.

One short cut way to know you're in the man-centered religion (this includes atheism) is to notice how irate you become at Jesus (I'm just quoting him) when he flat-out tells you this:

"...NONE can come to me UNLESS it is granted to him by my Father." [John 6:65] (A God-centered statement)

It's hilarious to watch those who twist this, and other like Scriptures, turning around and accusing the Episcopalians of twisting Scripture. Hahahahaha

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

That list is an excellent litmus test. I was ELCA (they have pulpit exchages with the Episcopalians) until about 11 years ago. Told them good bye and went to the conservative Missouri Synod Lutheran.

[ModelBreaker]

Well, Paul speaks in Corinthians about adultery as a sin and suggests that those who commit it should be excluded from the Church. Since Lesbians are not married, are they not adulterers? Should they not be excluded from the Church until they stop their behavior?

[Militiaman7]

Anyone care to predict the next sin that this church will now say is ok? Adultry, Murder, Theft or what?

[RussianConservative]

The True Faith of the Orthodox Church not have such issues, period. Check out real and living church of New Testiment, the 2000 year old Church.

[TexanToTheCore]

"Maybe they'll welcome them as choir directors or church organists, but ministers? Don't think so." Choir directors have a particularly important function in the SBC and many of them are ordained. They are pastors to the choir members and in many ways the choir is there mini-church. A gay choir director would be unthinkable and it would leave the choir loft empty. Guarantee it. Bank it.

I have immense respect for our choir director, both as a musician but much more so as a pastor. He is the best.

[wimpycat]

Satan sure is a great PR man!

He's the best there is. He can make people believe that God is not God, that sin is not sin, that good is evil and evil is good, that what exists doesn't exist (including himself) and what doesn't exist exists. He's rarely implicated because he's rarely suspected--he's the ultimate Man Behind the Curtain.

[Mobties]

Ben Doone??

Phillip McCavity??

[RussianConservative]

Your inclusion of Orthodoxy stupid. Orthodoxy, since you know not, does not change dogma and requires Ecomunical Council for such thing. Last one is 1200 years ago. We do not tolerate open homosexuality, which does not mean we hate homosexuals, we treat them as sinners and hate their life style. Hate the sin not the sinner. If you think we ever accept homosexuals, you will die of old age very disappointed and so will a thousand of your future generations. NEVER just like we have had ZERO dogmatic changes in 1200 years.

[Colonel_Flagg]

He's the best there is.

And he can also define "is". :)

But he's only second best - because he cannot win.

[RussianConservative]

What it matter if they on list, that organization has nothing to do in setting Orthodox policy and anti life style sermons alive and well.