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» Christian Message Boards   » Bible Studies   » The Christian News   » Episcopal Church Risks Schism By Confirming Gay Bishop

   
Author Topic: Episcopal Church Risks Schism By Confirming Gay Bishop
Paula
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4-19-04
By Wendy Griffith
For CWNews

CBN.com – A crisis engulfed the Worldwide Anglican Communion this year.

It's over the consecration of a homosexual bishop by the Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion.

Wendy Griffith was in Minneapolis as the church was deciding the issue.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Episcopal Church has confirmed its first homosexual bishop, Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

After the vote, visibly shaken conservatives said the vote denied the clear teaching of the Bible and ignored the moral consensus of the church throughout history.

The American Anglican Council, called the decision 'tragic' and said the Episcopal Church could be on the verge of shattering.

Conservatives fought Robinson's confirmation the best they could, with Scripture and pointed questions about homosexuality.

One conservative addressed this question to Robinson during the debate.

"So my question for you is, what's the purpose for which you believe the Creator made us sexual beings?"

Robinson's reply: "I believe God made us male and female. I believe that God gave us the gift of sexuality so that we might express with our bodies the love that's in our hearts. I just need to tell you that I experience that with my partner."

John Howell, Bishop of Central Florida, defended the church's traditional teaching on homosexuality.

"The teaching of this church is that sexual intimacy is for lifelong, monogamous, heterosexual marriage. And nothing else," Howell said. "And commending to the church as a wholesome example a person who is sexually intimate in a relationship other than holy matrimony, is a massive repudiation of that teaching."

But a female clergy member who supports Robinson advocated change.

"We need prayerful, Christ-centered, morally grounded, duly called people to incarnate God's call to leadership in the episcopate who happen to be gay."

Robinson is a practicing homosexual, living with his partner of 14 years. Conservatives say confirming him as bishop means turning their backs on 2,000 years of Christian teaching to promote a lifestyle the Bible clearly calls a sin.

CBN reporter Wendy Griffith asked Robinson how he reconciles the gay lifestyle with the Bible.

Griffith asked, "How would you interpret Romans 1:26-'For even the women exchange the natural use for what is against nature, likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the women, burn in their lust for one another; man with man committing what is shameful.' How do you reconcile that?"

Robinson suggested that the Scriptures are out of date. {??}

"Uh, when those Scriptures were written in both the Old and New Testaments, everyone was presumed to be heterosexual, so to act in any other manner would be against one's natural inclinations. The whole notion of sexual orientation is only about a hundred years old. So to take the concept of homosexuality as a sexual orientation and to read it back into an ancient text, uh-is very shaky ground to be on."

Rev. David Anderson of the American Anglican Council says Robinson's argument is invalid.

"Yes, that's the argument they use, which conveniently overlooks the fact that people have had same-gender attractions and Scripture says don't act on them. It would presume that God didn't know about men and women that he created, and now God has somehow got his Masters' degree and now knows more. Both in the Old Testament, in the Book of Leviticus, for example, it's very clear that this is not something you're to do. So, how can someone be a leader in church and function as a bishop, and be living a lifestyle that the Old and the New Testament together say is not permissible?"

Anderson says the gay issue plaguing the church is really just a symptom of a much more serious illness.

"But the underlying disease is the significant difference of opinion on the authority of Scripture and the person and uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and that conversation is often covered over or disguised by a lot of niceties."

Rev. Donald Curran, Deputy of Central Florida also takes issue with Robinson's argument.

"When we talk about Jesus and homosexuality, we cannot separate Jesus from the Bible. Father Robinson has said that our ultimate revelation is Jesus Christ, not the Bible. But to separate Jesus from the Bible is to wrench Him from the very source of revelation."

Robinson admits his view of Scripture differs from those who disagree with him.

"I believe the Bible's the word of God, not the words of God."

Gene Robinson does not believe the Bible to be the infallible, inerrant word of God. Nor does he believe Jesus to be the only way for mankind to be saved.

Reporter Wendy Griffith asked him,

"Is Jesus Christ the only way, as Jesus says, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except by me?'"

Robinson's reply: "I would be the last person in the world to try to put God in some kind of a box."

At the debate, emotions were high as those for and against Robinson's confirmation spoke their minds.

One man said the move would rend the Episcopal Church.

"How will I tell them that, on a certain Sunday in August, the church they love chose to separate themselves from the body of Christ?"

While another defends the gay lifestyle: "Homosexuality is not a sin, but rather is a gift from God, consistent with the word of God."

And still another speaks up for biblical truth, "If it is truly God's will that we call people to repent of the gay behavior and instead tell them, 'God blesses your behavior,' the tragedy will be incalculable."

At the end of the debate more than 800 deputies, half lay, half clergy, voted nearly 2-1 to confirm Gene Robinson as bishop.

Rev. Thomas Hightower, Deputy of Texas said:

"I think it's a slap on the face of Scripture, of the Gospel message. I think it subtly sends the message out that Jesus Christ can't change lives. I think it attacks marriage and I believe that it will be the major factor of the break-up of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican community, which-I gotta tell you-saddens me tremendously."

Another Deputy echoed the sentiment: "I think that it's a tragic decision that leads the Episcopal Church to the brink of shattering the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church now has one foot outside the door of the communion."

But Robinson sees no problem.

"I don't believe we're gonna come apart over this. And besides which, you know what? The church is God's. It's not ours to win or lose. Um, but God will have God's way with this."

But a conservative spokesman disagrees. "This body has denied the plain teaching of Scripture and the moral consensus of the church throughout the ages."

Robinson, the man around whom the controversy whirls, said, "I think we're seeing the moving into a kind of mature adulthood of the full inclusion of gay and lesbian folk in the culture and certainly in the church."

The question is what conservative Episcopalians will do now that their leaders have elected a practicing homosexual as a church leader.

The Episcopal Church ordained Robinson as bishop in November.

Since then, conservative Anglican diocese in Africa have broken fellowship with the Episcopal Church over the issue.

And others in South America and the U.S. are threatening to do the same.

=============================================

My major concern is what the future holds for the Christian Church as a whole because of this unprecedented schism. Do you feel heresy is better than schism in the long term, or should we as Christians accept the notion of "a church within a church"?

Another question is will American Christian Churches become like those in Scandinavia who have been pretty much forced to accept homosexuality as a sexual orientation instead of a sin? There are so many things to think about here in light of these recent events. Your comments would be most appreciated.

Posts: 90 | From: Arizona | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator


 
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