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.

[ChocChipCookie]

Being gay, while sinful, is just as sinful as say cheating on your taxes, lying, stealing pens at work, etc.

I'm not going to flame you, but I do disagree with homosexuality being the same as any other sin. I can't think of any other sin that has well-funded and well-organized PAC groups or works toward getting laws passed to punish anyone who criticizes their sin. Liars, cheaters, adulterers -- at some level the know what they are doing is wrong. Homosexuals will NEVER admit they are sinning. Instead, they want to change the Bible, force their lifestyles on others, and pass laws giving them a protected status.

I have been puzzling for some time over WHY homosexuality is different from other sins. On one hand, yes, God will forgive the homosexual just as he would the adulterer or murderer. OTOH, gays don't want or seek forgiveness. They resolutely condemn anyone who says they came out of the gay lifestyle. They want to pursue their perversion, pretend it's normal and that they have God's blessing. I'm not sure why this particular sexual perversion is the way it is. But it DEFINITELY is not the same as stealing a pen from work.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

There is a strong movement within the Orthodox Church to withdraw from this organization.

Good for you. It must be done. God's blessing.

[Twinkie]

Apparently pedophiles mostly. Homosexual pedophiles.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

You got it.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Sex outside of marriage makes one an adulterer.

It is man who has changed the definition to mean those who are married and have sexual relations with someone other than their spouse.

[Redleg Duke]

Back when the National Council of Churches bankrolled the father of that Cuban kid and provided an attorney, after the Federal Agents Kidnapped him and he was sent back to Cuba, I went to the church council president at my ELCA church in New Hampshire and demanded to know how much we contributed to the NCC. He referred me to our Pastor, a real liberal, who tried to browbeat me. I demanded to know how much we contributed and he finally got the information from the Synod. I figured out what my cut was, about 5 cents a week, and wrote a check from then on with $xxx.95 on it as a reminder to the council, Pastor and Synod. They didn't like it and everyone who came up to me asked why and I told them that I didn't believe in bankrolling kidnappers and Communists.

It was worth it for the discomfort it caused them.

[Twinkie]

Sorry. Doesn't jive. That's like Christ's mouth saying the
right thing while his feet would be walking on the wrong
street. Doesn't compute.

[Aliska]

#145

Excellent points. I will have to reflect on them because in my formative years, I didn't have to deal with any of this. Most of it exploded for me during the last 10 or 20 years and I don't see the whole picture. I don't know any homosexual men who are "out" but have been with several lesbians in the workplace and through therapy.

Actually looking back, I did have to deal with it in my early teens, and tomboy that I was, and rejections that I suffered from some men, I have never felt tempted to have anything like that with a woman. There are lines that just cannot be crossed with some of us.

Most women I ever knew would not cross that line unless their defenses were extremely weakened. Even then, most won't cross it. In the future, the way kids are being brought up, it may be easier for people to cross the line, which is what I think the homo advocates are hoping for. They are also jockeying into position for the day when the older generation who knew black from white to die out so they can have free reign. It isn't just about their own relationships. There's an old saying, "Misery loves company." I think these are unhappy people who deep down do not like themselves and want to draw more and more to share in their misery.

As to visible judgement from on high, lesbians don't get aids, which I'm not saying is a judgement because I do not know. Not only that, fear of venereal disease does not inhibit a lot of peoples' sexuality. Lesbians don't get most venereal diseases. They seem like a confused, unhappy lot to me from what little I've seen. They now have the tolerance, sympathy and acceptance they said they wanted, but that wasn't enough. They want the whole pie and to drag humanity into the sewer with them.

[stands2reason]

I don't think RC "belongs" to the NCC, considering he/she is Russian and the NCC is American.
Russian Conservative, The National Council of Churches is a very liberal (leftist) group (you can check them at Google)--- I couldn't tell you why those American Orthodox churches are members. Have you heard anything about these American Orthodox Churches---are they more liberal than your European counterparts?

[rj45mis]

Although it doesn't specifically say "women with women" Romans 1:26,27 read "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet (KJV)

[Aquinasfan]

1 Timothy 2:3-5

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

How do you reconcile this passage with Calvin's doctrine of double predestination?

I've never understood the psychological appeal of Calvin's teachings, except that perhaps adherents to his doctrines so want to be certain of their own salvation that they're willing to accept a God who positively wills the damnation of others. I guess that's a price they're willing to pay.

[salmon76]

gay = pervert

gay bishop = blasphemous pervert

religous group that confirms gay bishop = Satan's right arm

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"We'll have a gay...old...time"

[lupie]

I attend Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) church and have been for about 3 yrs. The denomination is small and only about 30 - 40 yr old, (I think). It broke off from the mainline presbyterian church because the mainline one was too liberal and they wanted to get back to the basics: exalting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in our lives and spreading it to others who don't know Him. From what I can I see, they are a bible believing, teaching and conservative denomination. I think it is more probable that the SB accepting homosexuals before the PCA, not that I think the SB would.

In Jesus alone,
Andra

[wardaddy]

CofC and the Southern Baptists (once the same I think)are about the only reliably Conservative denominations of any size left.

I think Southern Baptist is the largest single Protestant sect left is it not?

Never thought as a kid raised and baptized as such that I would be so proud of their keeping the faith one day.

[Aliska]

I must have led a sheltered life, as I didn't know about a lot of this until recently.

I naively have always assumed that when women were cut off from men sexually from widowhood, etc., they didn't seek alternate sexual outlets, other than the self one perhaps.

Most women I have known would have to be in pretty dire straights to even consider such behavior, and I'm talking women who aren't particularly religious.

[Destro]

Calvanists misunderstand predetermined with predestination. God can predetermine behavior as Jesus did with Peter before his trail but Peter was not predestined to do so. God is all knowing but not all determining. If so-why did he bother creating Adam and Eve or Lucifer?

[Aliska]

#153. Smile.

[RussianConservative]

Sex outside of marriage if one person in sex is married...if neither are married how can they be adulterer?

[rj45mis]

" I'm not sure why this particular sexual perversion is the way it is. But it DEFINITELY is not the same as stealing a pen from work."

I agree! God's Word calls homosexuality an abomination! This is the strongest condemnation given regarding any type of sin. It is simply mankind thumbing their noses at God's design for a man-woman intimate relationship.