Rowan Williams: gay relationships 'comparable to marriage' (Coffee mug down alert!)

Times Online ^ | August 7, 2007 | Ruth Gledhill

[NYer]

Rowan Williams believes that gay sexual relationships can “reflect the love of God” in a way that is comparable to marriage, The Times has learnt.

Gay partnerships pose the same ethical questions as those between men and women, and the key issue for Christians is that they are faithful and lifelong, he believes.

Dr Williams is known to be personally liberal on the issue but the strength of his views, revealed in private correspondence shown to The Times, will astonish his critics.

The news threatens to reopenbitter divisions over ordaining gay priests, which pushed the Anglican Communion towards a split.

As Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Williams recommitted the Anglican Communion to its orthodox position that homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture at the Lambeth Conference, which closed on Sunday.

However, in an exchange of letters with an evangelical Christian, written eight years ago when he was Archbishop of Wales, he described his belief that biblical passages criticising homosexual sex were not aimed at people who were gay by nature.

He argued that scriptural prohibitions were addressed to heterosexuals looking for sexual variety. He wrote: “I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness.” Dr Williams described his view as his “definitive conclusion” reached after 20 years of study and prayer. He drew a distinction between his own beliefs as a theologian and his position as a church leader, for which he had to take account of the traditionalist view.

[RexBeach]

Diana-This is mighty creepy. Thank you for the superb post.

-Rex

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Read it. Share it. :)

[puroresu]

The fact that the left is pushing homosexuality so hard is proof enough of its evil.

[lormand]

My first name is Randy, and when I visited London a while back, I was careful not to introduce myself to an Englishman as "hi, I'm Randy".

This has a different meaning in England.

[aruanan]

Rowan Williams: gay relationships 'comparable to marriage' (Coffee mug down alert!)

Anything is comparable to anything else.

[silverleaf]

I guess the archbishop could argue that when God nuked Sodom and Gomorrah, he was only aiming at the sodomites who were fooling around, not the ones who were covenanting.

[mandingo republican]

“definitive conclusion” reached after 20 years of study and prayer”

Yeah, right.

[RexBeach]

I think you are correct in your assertion about this agenda being evil. I think it is also proof that the Devil is alive and well in world, and that Hell is a real place. Once there, there is no escape.

It is positively astonishing how quickly so many people in America have decided to rush down this wicked path. A path that can only lead to the ruination of our country and their souls.

I am 58 years of age. Since my birth, I have witnessed what was once a very proud nation turn into a camp of whiners and teeth gnashers who demand immediate gratification in all things, and an amoral society. A society that laughs at God and elevates perversion.

God help us.

[Blind Eye Jones]

The split in Rowan between his personal beliefs and what his office represents shows the extent of the schizophrenic nature of liberalism, the “I was for it before I was against it” mentality, the confusion arising from treating all sides equally and giving credence to everything. Life is chaotic, contradictions abound but hard choices have to be made. Otherwise, it is soft nihilism — where one floats from one thing to another — like a flower petal floating down stream and getting swept up in whatever happens to be the strongest currents.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yep. That’s basically ‘The Communist Manifesto.’

[Antoninus]

It’s pretty sad when non-christians like Rowan Williams become the leaders of large Christian denominations. If there’s not enough will left in the Anglican church to revolt against this garbage, they should just shrivel up and die. Better that than to keep on living like this.

[wagglebee]

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[Notwithstanding]

At least Rowan recognizes that he is a “muddled bishop,” as he puts it.

Rowan has found Roe-v-Wade-like penumbras emanating from the Bible that will allow those of supreior intellect and chairty to condone almost any behavior previously and universally condemnned as immoral.

[LuxMaker]

lormand wrote:

"My first name is Randy, and when I visited London a while back, I was careful not to introduce myself to an Englishman as "hi, I'm Randy".

This has a different meaning in England."

I suggest that while you are across the pond that you use the name Andy if that is not perverted to them.

[trisham]

However, in an exchange of letters with an evangelical Christian, written eight years ago when he was Archbishop of Wales, he described his belief that biblical passages criticising homosexual sex were not aimed at people who were gay by nature.

He argued that scriptural prohibitions were addressed to heterosexuals looking for sexual variety. He wrote: “I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness.”

*************************

Man is fallible.

[jkl1122]

The only Christian institution is the church, the body of Christ. The idea that there are multiple Christian institutions (denominations) within the body of Christ is not in agreement with Scripture. There are many congregations of the church, but these are all part of the same body.

[N. Theknow]

Traditional Anglican Ping List creator Arlin Adams had this guy pegged right when he referred to him as Rowan the Fuzzy, the Arch-Druid.

Huber and sionnsar - you might want to take a look at this latest abomination.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

You need to consider the source. Isn’t Rowan the titular head of the Church of Gay Lust?

[servantboy777]

With all due respect, that is an inaccurate representation of the Anglican communion.

The Majority of Anglicans are indeed biblically based, orthodox Christians.

The worldwide Anglican communion is made up of approx. 70 million members.

The minority are the liberal progressives, mainly in Canada, England, and America. These three provinces make up around five million.

In fact, the Episcopal Church in America claims membership roles of 1.5 million, this number is more like 600K.

My family left the “liberal” Episcopal church over two years ago, yet we are still on their membership roles in the Diocese of Texas.

Kinda sad if you think about it. Even those who have passed away are still on the membership roles in many cases.

My family and I are now worshiping Christ within the Anglican tradition alongside AMIA. Anglican Mission in the Americas.

A missionary movement to the Americas.

[sionnsar]

The news threatens to reopenbitter divisions over ordaining gay priests, which pushed the Anglican Communion towards a split.

Duh. And let's not forget the other "novelties" the Left foisted upon the church over the past half-century. Those who try to remain in the wwAC are trying to remain in communion with heretics.

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