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Britain
Archbishop: Gay Issue Splits Anglicans
2005-02-19
Comes as a surprise, doesn't it? Who'da ever thunk that'd happen? But it seems to me that, if you're gonna have a church, especially one with magnificent edifaces and the occasional robes of cloth of gold, you should spend some time thinking about concepts like right and wrong. Maybe you could do some research, by reading up on the ideas in your holy book. If you have magnificent edifaces and occasional robes of cloth of gold, but there's no such thing as right or wrong, if it's all relative, then you're not a church. You're a social club with funny hats. You might as well spend the time you devote to Sunday services playing bridge.
The Anglican rift over gay bishops will be costly no matter how it is resolved, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said Thursday. Ties among national churches have been severely strained by the U.S. Episcopal Church's 2003 decision to elect V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire — who is openly living in a gay relationship — as a bishop. "Part of the cost involved in the repercussions of recent events is that it has weakened, if not destroyed, the sense that we are actually talking the same language within the Anglican Communion," Williams told the Church of England synod, which was considering an official report on the issue. "Not having a common language, a common frame of reference, has been one of the casualties of recent events, and there is every indication that that is not going to get better in a hurry," he said.

Robinson's elevation has roiled the 77-million strong worldwide Anglican Communion, which has its roots in the Church of England. The issue has pitted liberals against conservatives within the Episcopal Church, and some African bishops have cut off contact with the U.S. church.
Posted by:Fred

#10  Oh, by the way. Speaking of druid paganism the photo accompanying this article shows front and center( white beard , standng) Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. Those are not Episcopal vestments that he and the others are wearing. No, those are druid vestments. Dr Williams was photoed when he joined a Druid order recently. Tolerant, broad minded chap, huh? Makes me wonder if he and Rev Marget Rose are really Christians any more or have they wandered way off the reservation.
Posted by: Dixonh2   2005-02-19 11:10:46 PM  

#9  I you like the Episcopal stance on ordination of non-celibate homosexuals then you'll just love their plunge into paganism. A few months ago Rev Margaret Rose who runs the womens ministry for the Episcopal Church out of their NCY headquarters posted on the national Episcopal website pages lifted directly from a druid website. That's druid..as in pagan. The druid liturgy was suggested by her as an example of a liturgy that Episcopal women should copy and emulate.See http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ecw_55934_ENG_HTM.htm for Rose's hasty "mea culpa" after a firestorm of criticism made her pull the web pages. Advocating pagan rituals was too much even for liberal Episcopals.
Posted by: Dixonh2   2005-02-19 11:02:45 PM  

#8  Look..the church is full of sinners. That's kind of the point of a church is it not? Like an AA meeting is supposed to be full of alcoholics. People confessing their sins asking for forgiveness and seeking redemption. Trying to be better and walk in light instead of darkness.

Gays are welcome...just like prostitutes, adulterers..and all other sinners..which would be each and every one of us. Just like an AA meeting welcomes all alcoholics - Jesus welcomes all sinners.

I don't want to belong to a church that makes it its mission to debate the rightness or wrongness of homosexuality any more than I want to belong to a church that focuses on alcohol use or pornography. It's not the areas of sin that I need to personally focus on.

I'm not going to pass judgement on homosexuals or anyone else for that matter. But the last thing I want is a church that's main focus is to convince me of the rightness of homosexuality, the wrongness of supporting the Boyscouts or why Israel should get out of Palestine. I've got better ways to spend my time.
Posted by: 2b   2005-02-19 5:48:24 PM  

#7  Hmmm... I thought the common frame of reference for Christians was supposed to be the Bible, which is clear that homosexual sex is a sin. This is not a gray area like debates on female pastors and so on.
Posted by: Rifle308   2005-02-19 5:02:32 PM  

#6  oh goodie! I hope they split!! Then the moral equivalists can go to one, and traditional Christians to another.

I don't have any problem with gays, I could care less what people do in their bedrooms. But I got sick of the sermons not being about sin and redemption but being about the sin of supporting the boyscouts or not encouraging gays to marry.

The first half of the service, they preach moral equivalence - seemingly saying how there is no such thing as sin...but then then the second half, they tell you that you are a sinner if you believe in the concept of sin. Yeah ok. Makes sense...to them apparently.

Funny, last I checked the congregation was supposed to come in order to confess their own sins, ask for forgiveness and try to walk a better road in life, be a better person and focus on what matters in life - love, charity and forgiveness.

But in the Episcopal Church Of The Left, the ONLY sin seems to be not believing that homosexuality is wrong. Or supporting Israel or the Boyscouts. Yawn. Yeah...the world would just be a better place if only everyone threw rose petals at our gay neighbors and Israel stopped funding terrorists and occupying Palestine.
Posted by: 2b   2005-02-19 12:26:35 PM  

#5  
The Anglican rift over gay bishops will be costly no matter how it is resolved, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said.
Williams is a master of the obvious, nicht wahr?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2005-02-19 11:15:23 AM  

#4  To clarify (for once) The church my wife attends is liberal on the Gay Bishop issue and stands to loose much in a schism since the Jax based Bishop is quite conservative.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-19 10:28:31 AM  

#3  Mostly true Anonymoose. But in Florida it's the Liberal Wing that will be left in the lurch. The Diocese of North Florida owns my wifes' church (bldg and school) and it is liberal. A chance to loose everything for them.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-19 10:27:13 AM  

#2  N.B.: this has also been VERY good to the African dioceses, and is resulting in boom times, and many converts from Islam.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-02-19 9:06:58 AM  

#1  Unlike in the Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church has split ownership of church property, the bishop doesn't own everything. This has resulted in individual churches, who disagree with their liberal bishop's abuse, to vote to become "missionary" churches of mostly African dioceses. Needless to say, this makes the liberal bishops apoplectic. Over time, it is evolving into two separate "provinces" living side-by-side. And while the really BIG money, in very old trust accounts, will stay with the liberal wing, all the NEW money will go to the conservatives.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-02-19 9:05:41 AM  

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