It looks like the Episcopal Church is going to lift its ban on gay bishops.This is great news for those of us who support equal rights of gays and lesbians to serve at the highest office in any political or religious sphere. The only requirement should be that they demonstrate that God has given them that calling, that they are able to fulfill the duties the position entails, and that they are willing to make the sacrifice that such positions exact.
Yet already some, including Beliefnet’s own Crunchy Con has decried the move saying:
TEC (The Episcopal Church) is not a church that has any interest in adhering to Scripture or Christian tradition on sexual morality. And Neuhaus’ Law (“Where orthodoxy is optional, it will sooner or later be proscribed.”) proceeds inexorably.
The idea that the equal consideration of gay and lesbian people for religious office is a quesiton of orthodoxy is to demean the idea of orthodoxy. Gays in the church is a social issue and, like other social issues, the Church can and has been wrong in the past. And like Republican senators, the Church always repents of our theological sins with much hand wringing and apologies in the end.
Slavery was claimed to be “orthodoxy” for many bible believing Christians. When the Baptist Convention decided to reverse that “orthodoxy” and take a stand against slavery, the southern baptist convention formed in 1845 to allow Christians the right to hold onto the ‘orthodoxy’ of biblically sanctioned slavery. Likewise we will see some leave the Episcopal Church to create the southern baptist equivalent, this time vis a vis the gays. This doesn’t mean that they are orthodox, it means they are holding onto an ‘orthodoxy’ that people are realizing is no longer valid and needs to be discarded. The new orthodoxy is love and acceptance of all of God’s children.
We should be open to the truth that Jesus continues to lead us in efforts of love and redemption and thankful that he is at work in Anaheim.
posted July 14, 2009 at 4:52 pm
This doesn’t matter. So what if they have gay Bishops, it is still WRONG to be a HOMOSEXUAL if you are Episcopalian.
Religion is the only thing that makes gay WRONG. That is the enemy. If people weren’t brainwashed by Religion to think gay is wrong, we would be just like everyone else – free.
Religion hurts – make it stop.
posted July 14, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Don’t fall for the MSM headlines. Resolution B033 passed in 2006 did nothing more than “urge restraint” to bishops and standing committees when consenting to the election of bishops. Resolution D025 reaffirms the canonical requirements for ordination which say nothing about gender or sexuality. It also reaffirms the Episcopal Church’s commitment to the Anglican Communion and observes that throughout the communion, as in the Episcopal church itself, there is deep disagreement on matters of sexuality.
posted July 15, 2009 at 10:51 am
GOD LOVES EVERYONE, PERIOD. BUT, HE HATES SIN. SIN DOES NOT EXIST IN HEAVEN. HEAVEN IS A HOLY PLACE. ( THE SAYING; “ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED” IS A LIE.) WE HAVE TO WORK ON OUR SALVATION DAILY, THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS. NO-ONE WILL GET INTO HEAVEN WITH UN-FORGIVENESS IN THEIR HEART!!! 2 PETER 3:9 “THE LORD IS…NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.” WHAT IS GOD’S GREATEST DESIRE FOR US, HIS CREATION, HIS CHILDREN??? “THAT WE BE SAVED.” WE MUST STOP ALL JUDGMENT WITH ONE-ANOTHER ( JUDGE AND YOU SHALL BE JUDGED, SO JUDGE NOT ) LET HE WHO HAS NOT SINNED CAST THE FIRST STONE, FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF GOD’S GLORY. THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS OF OUR DAILY SINS, WE MUST GO TO GOD THE FATHER SO HE CAN FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS AGAINST ONE-ANOTHER, IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. JOHN 13:34 “A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE TO YOU, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, THAT YOU ALSO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST, THIS A COMMANDMENT ( COMMAND ) LOVE ONE ANOTHER. PRAISE GOD, JESUS
posted July 15, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Could someone explain to me, preferably in simple terms, why it is that the nuttier the comment the greater the tendency to SCREAM at us?
Should someone have a rational explanation for the wingnuts’ SHOUTING, perhaps they might also explain to me the inability of the christianists to spell check their texts?
Thanks!
posted July 21, 2009 at 11:03 pm
One can conceive of a gay priest or bishop, just as one can conceive of an alcoholic or swindler as a priest or bishop. Lord knows there have been plenty of them. But the fact that the Episcopal Church would knowingly accept a practicing homosexual as a priest is astounding. Internet reportage has it that Bishop Robinson, the focus of the current debacle, is both alcoholic and homosexual, albeit a divorcee who was married to a biological female at least for the length of time it took to sire several children before he ascended into sodomy. So the good old Episcopal Church is to become a freak show, something out of Weimar Germany or Neronic Rome. Seeing as imperial America is reaching a late and decadent phase it is therefore to be expected.
posted July 23, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Ah yes, there’s that ‘good ole “Christian” “love” (TM)’ that we’ve all become so well acquainted with – comparing committed, loving, consenting, adult human same-sex relationships to alcoholics and swindlers, etc. Calling the Episcopal Cjurch a “freak show”, and comparing it to Weimar Germany, etc.
It does your cause such irreparable harm to say such foolish (not to mention hateful) things. You’d have thought you’d have learned a thing or two by now. It turns so many more away from Christ than it ever will attract them to Him.
People ‘learn’ so much about ‘Christians’ through such posts. And not good things, either. Do keep it up. Please.
posted August 7, 2009 at 11:42 am
I am sad to say, that this could even be called a “church”! Yes, God loves sinners, but He hates sin! He is the same today, yesterday and for always. If you think God is going to be happy with a “gay” preacher telling His flock that is OK to love (have intercourse)with a man as with a woman, you are deeply decieved! Father open our eyes, and change our hearts, so that we may do your will in the Church! The church is, by the way, the body of Christ, that should operating in one accord with the head! God help us!