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July 27, 2009
Just Shy of Schism, Anglicans May Sub-Divide
Archbishop Rowan Williams says "two-track" model might allow traditionalists and progressives to co-exist.
In the days following, the General Convention of TEC (the Episcopal Church based in the US), Rowan Williams, as Archbishop of Canterbury, has held off making any comment. Until today.
The UK's Daily Telegraph says:
Dr Williams acknowledged for the first time that believers may have to accept "two styles of being Anglican" in order to avoid schism. The decision by Episcopal bishops in the US earlier this month to press ahead with the ordination of homosexual priests and bishops — effectively overturning a ban on the practice — has pushed the 80 million-strong global church to the brink of an irrevocable split.
Williams' lengthy statement puts an accent on realistic analysis and description. It is likely to make some, if not most, on both sides of the global Anglican Communion, unhappy in that Williams does not map out how Anglicans are to resolve their differences once and for all.
The core issues are: gay clergy, gay bishops, the inter-dependence of the communion's 35-plus members and their commitment to traditional/orthodox teaching.
Here are just a few highlights from the ABC:
* A realistic assessment of what [the TEC] Convention has resolved does not suggest that it will repair the broken bridges into the life of other Anglican provinces; very serious anxieties have already been expressed. The repeated request for moratoria on the election of partnered gay clergy as bishops and on liturgical recognition of same-sex partnerships has clearly not found universal favour, although a significant minority of bishops has just as clearly expressed its intention to remain with the consensus of the Communion. The statement that the Resolutions are essentially 'descriptive' is helpful, but unlikely to allay anxieties.
* No Anglican has any business reinforcing prejudice against LGBT people, questioning their human dignity and civil liberties or their place within the Body of Christ. Our overall record as a Communion has not been consistent in this respect and this needs to be acknowledged with penitence.
* A blessing for a same-sex union cannot have the authority of the Church Catholic, or even of the Communion as a whole. And if this is the case, a person living in such a union is in the same case as a heterosexual person living in a sexual relationship outside the marriage bond; whatever the human respect and pastoral sensitivity such persons must be given, their chosen lifestyle is not one that the Church's teaching sanctions, and thus it is hard to see how they can act in the necessarily representative role that the ordained ministry, especially the episcopate, requires.
Here's the link to the full statement.
Comments
I suspect the reason Gregory Peterson threw so much garbage at people who try to follow the teachings of the Bible is that he hopes some of it sticks or that people will be intimidated by the sheer bulk of the landfill. I will not even attempt to dispute any of his points since they are all incoherent but it will suffice to refer him to Romans 1:18-32 for the impeccable logic of Paul. And Gregory, please don't accept Christianity as your inheritance. We have plenty of fake Christians already. Real Christians have always been a small minority and have always been persecuted when people like you are in control. Try thinking for once and label yourself as you are and quit posing as someone who cares.
Posted By: John Sinclair | July 27, 2009 4:52 PM
What is really sad about this, is that it will be interpreted in terms of homophobia, bigortry or hate which it is not, rather it is about church discipline. We can call "foul" all we want, or "bigotry" when in truth their are, at least in the Christian, Islam and Jewish faith traditions, consequences of choosing certain lifestyles, as far as those faith traditions are concerned.
Posted By: Br. James-Aidan Ketler FOCD | July 27, 2009 5:30 PM
Christianity needs to define itself according to the scriptures and apostolic tradition, even if it means shrinking the numbers in the church. It is better to have a few worshipers who worship in spirit and in truth than have a vast futile Christendom. Anglicanism is a catch-all which has become unstuck because of sin. No amount of glue can hold a sinful family together. When David sinned sexually and by murder God summonsed him to court and declared that his household would be at odds with itself. So it is with Anglicanism: Sexual sin has split it.
Posted By: Trevor | July 27, 2009 6:05 PM
The LGBT bloc has cleverly trivialized the "tear in the fabric" of Anglicanism as caused by perversion in sexual practice. They can then move the discuaaion to whether God "made" them that way or not. Then the Commands do NOT apply to them or rather, specifically
permit them to flaunt their perversion as less than 5% of a normal population in the US
It is ACTUALLY about authneticity and validity of Holy Scripture in applying its content of black and white unmisinterpretable Commands of God to moral Chriatian life. For some this even means rejectiom of divorce under most circumstances. For others, it questions female appropriateness in Holy Orders. The Episcopal Church borders on Apostasy in all three. Will the Bible, the Whole Bible and Nothing but the Bible be accepted or rejected? Juat that SIMPLE
Gregory had also trivialized and made light and funny of a serious matter at least most of the 77 million members of the Anglican Communion. Any time the Church must split when the Lord prayed that we "all might be One" is agonizing. Gregory may win an Award for comedic relief but gets an F in in Christian Theology. The content is possibly a Pass as New Age "Faith" but not Christianity
Trevor is correct as usual. It IS the REMNANT Congregation of believers that God has always used to follow His Commands and thus receive His Blessing, Favor and Loving Kindness. His Merciful Grace.
Through His Prophets and Son He has given us Covenants, an Old and a New, and has required that we adhere to our side of the bargain as He has commanded. Break one of His Commands or those of His Only Son and there IS NO DEAL. Thus by pruning off the distorted alien
lying branches of the vine God has purified His Church when it strays under false leaders spreading a false gospel.
Thank God there is a way for sinners to repent and return to His loving embrace. The Sacrament of Reconcilliation is available to sinners that "we might all be(come)One" (My parentheses.) BE with the Lord
Tillman
Posted By: Tillman | July 27, 2009 7:59 PM
My Christian friends tell me there is more at stake than sexual stances. There is also questions of the nature of scripture and the need to confess in the reality of the resurrection. Truth inevitably splits communities.
Posted By: Sabio | July 28, 2009 6:58 AM
The ABC speaks out of both sides of his mouth. It's outragous for someone in his position to state that:
"No Anglican has any business reinforcing prejudice against LGBT people, questioning their human dignity and civil liberties or their place within the Body of Christ. Our overall record as a Communion has not been consistent in this respect and this needs to be acknowledged with penitence."
Reinforcing prejudice! It is important to know that God will judge sinners. Christians teach repentance.
Human dignity! Who is humble enough?
Civil liberties! Who cares? I thought Anglicans were part of Christ's church, submitting to the ultimate authority. When the civil authority grants liberties that counter God's word, Christians have at least the responsibility to refuse it.
Posted By: gershgwilli | July 28, 2009 12:48 PM
I am curious... why is it that our religion focuses on spirituality rather than physicality, and yet we constantly fall into the trap of following physicality rather than spirituality?
Regarding same-sex couples, which is more important: their physical nature or spiritual nature?
I would venture to say that the spirituality of same-sex couples is the key to understanding their physical nature, and what is spiritual we have no right to judge -- the spirit is of God, not man.
Posted By: Samantha | July 28, 2009 2:32 PM
Doesn't this Rowan Williams guy have any male balls. He seems to be gutless and should not be in charge of such a large, or any church, now that I think of it if he can't make a decision. He can't tell a minority of people who have infiltrated his church that they are wrong and that they are out of the church. Didn't he take a oath to stand up for the beliefs of his church or did he secretly work his way to the top so he could let happen what is happening because he isn't a true Episcopalian, he is a true secularist or humanist which says no to God and yes, man can do it himself because he does'nt need God in his life to be a man or to build a community. Williams needs to be replaced with a man with guts and who has loyalty to his church and to God.
Posted By: Original Anna | July 29, 2009 12:58 AM