A Conference of Anglican Leaders Confronts Deeply Divisive Issues
Actions by the U.S. Episcopal Church test the durability of the Anglican Communion
But the issue of sexuality looms largest, despite the desire of Williams and others to try to focus the Communion's attention on global concerns such as poverty and HIV-AIDS. While Bishop Robinson was not invited to Lambeth (nor, for that matter, were Bishop Minns or the former bishop of Harare, Nolbert Kunonga, a supporter of Zimbabwe's despotic president, Robert Mugabe), Robinson has made his presence felt at various informal gatherings and at churches near Canterbury. Preaching at one church, he charged that his foes' preoccupation with sexuality was "at best unhelpful—and at worst idolatry."
For the rest of this conference, clearly, and certainly beyond, the Middle Way will be hard to preserve.
Reader Comments
Division in the Anglican Church
The issue here is God's sovereignty and the Bible as his word. Do we believe that it is inerrant and the only standard of living on this world? If we do, and we study it from Genesis to Revelation, we will find the answer to all of these issues within the total context, without cherrypicking certain scriptures out of context to make it mean whatever we want it to mean. Most of these issues have been settled according to the word of God for centuries, and it is certain groups with political and immoral agendas that are questioning the orthodoxy of Christianity at this late date. Ultimately, you have to convince God he is wrong if your position is different than what is clearly illustrated in the Bible in toto.
Anglicans Angst
As a practicing ecumenical Methodist, I feel for my Anglican brothers/sisters in their time of testing. But a believing Christian cannot 'cherry pick' the Bible, or use Christ's message to re-order society. No church, Catholic or Protestant would ever deny the basic sacraments to it's member, whatever their lifestyle. But Christianity historically, as with the other major religions has condemned homosexuality, period. There is NO scientific explanation for this problem as yet. Until one surfaces, I feel only pity for those whose affliction prevents them from full contact with the other half of humanity, like a person born with only one leg. But their disability, preference, whatever cannot be held religiously as equal to a hetereosexul couple. Civil unions, yes, marriage and tax benefits, no.
Some things are not negotiable.
First, I am not an Anglican.
However, some things are not negotiable, regardless of demonination, such as basics like how we are saved (by faith and REPENTANCE) and morality, and we should have learned that (Hebrews 5:12-6:1).
Read the letters to Pergamum and Thyatira(Rev 2:12-29). These, and the other five letters as well, were written to the church, not to Anglicans, Baptists, Episcopalians, Catholics, Methodists, or any other denomination. God's Word applies to ALL of us.
Some want to justify their errant lifestyle by using their own interpretation of the Bible. Might get by with that in this world, but definitely will not in the next.
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