Gay bishop 'not an abomination'
I want to bring out a few points before you get into this article and the issue. The ultimate question is really, is homosexuality approved of in the Bible, no, in the Old Testament (Hebrew) and New Testament. God is the same and does not change. Homosexuals can be believers and even cared for and loved by the church as any other person, but that does not mean we should in any fashion sanction there actions; so once the church identifies there sin they are bound to call them on there sin, as an adulterer would have to be reproved. Having that clear lets look at some of the quotes
"I am not an abomination before God - please, I beg you, let's say our prayers and stand up for right
Gene Robinson
Bishop of New Hampshire
He is not an abomination, this is true, but his lifestyle and what he teaches by his actions and words are.
Gene Robinson said the Episcopal Church should "stand up for right", adding that Anglicans should not be swayed by fear of deepening rifts over the issue.
Isn't it evident that all the parties are standing up for what they believe is right? But evidently some have different views of that "right".
Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham in the UK, warned that a moratorium was needed on creating any bishops living with a same-sex partner until there was consensus in the church.
NT Wright is a well respected author and church man and obviously he is here trying to bring reconciliation, and on first glance it might appear that is what he is saying, but on second and ever after one has to bring to light the truth. He is saying the same as the Archbishop of Canterbury indicated a while back, when everyone comes around to the correct way of thinking than we will be able to accept homosexuals, until than maybe we should just work at picking apart the opposition.
The Homosexual action groups in large part are willing to play a battle of attrition waiting to wear down there opponents knowing that they will eventually win as society caves into a small vocal minority.
But it also recognises that gay people are "by baptism... full members of the Church" and apologises to them for years of rejection and maltreatment by the Church. Enough Said!!!!
In conclusion nothing new, but I think I will again re-evaluate NT Wright even more. In the past I thought he was just wrong about his views on modernism and post modernism, now I must suspect that his theology is completely askew.
Gay bishop 'not an abomination'
The gay US bishop at the centre of controversy over his consecration has told a convention of US Anglicans he is "not an abomination".
Gene Robinson said the Episcopal Church should "stand up for right", adding that Anglicans should not be swayed by fear of deepening rifts over the issue.
The Ohio convention is to vote on how far to go in seeking to prevent the ordination of more openly gay bishops.
A senior conservative said it would be impossible to prevent a split.
"We've reached a moment where it is very difficult, indeed I think we've reached an impossible moment, in holding it together," Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh said, quoted by the Associated Press.
'Faithfully true'
The Episcopal General Convention is the first since Bishop Robinson's consecration in 2003.
I am not an abomination before God - please, I beg you, let's say our prayers and stand up for right Gene Robinson Bishop of New Hampshire
Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham in the UK, warned that a moratorium was needed on creating any bishops living with a same-sex partner until there was consensus in the church.
But in an impassioned speech, Bishop Robinson argued that the question was whether the church recognised the life of Christ in its gay and lesbian members.
It was not primarily about the future of the worldwide Anglican communion, he said.
"I am not an abomination before God," he said. "Please, I beg you, let's say our prayers and stand up for right."
He told the BBC that resolutions proposed by the convention were part of a conversation - one that he would not shy away from.
"I won't walk away. I will stay here and I will talk with anyone who is willing to talk. I will be as faithfully true as I can be with people who can be equally as faithful," he said.
'Express regret'
The main motion being discussed by the Episcopal Church suggests exercising "great caution" before ordaining another gay bishop, but falls short of the moratorium on ordination being suggested by Anglican leaders.
The motion also calls on dioceses to defer same-sex ceremonies until the Anglican communion achieves consensus on the issue.
And it says that the Episcopal Church should apologise "for having breached the bonds of affection in the Anglican communion by any failure to consult adequately with our Anglican partners".
It urges those who took part in Bishop Robinson's election to "express regret" for the pain they have caused.
But it also recognises that gay people are "by baptism... full members of the Church" and apologises to them for years of rejection and maltreatment by the Church.
The motion is mostly based on the recommendations of the Windsor Report, resulting from an inquiry into the row in 2004.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2006/06/15 09:49:36 GMT
© BBC MMVI
