THE first openly gay bishop in the Anglican communion yesterday criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury’s suggestion of a possible “two-track” church. Gene Robinson, the Episcopalian bishop of New Hampshire, said: “I can’t imagine anything that would be more abhorrent to Jesus than a two-tier church.
“Either we are children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ, or we aren’t. There are not preferred children and second-class children. There are just children of God.”
“”Either we are children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ, or we aren’t. There are not preferred children and second-class children. There are just children of God.”
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This is just too easy to respond to.
‘There are also obedient children and disobedient children.’
‘There are children who accept parental authority and guidance and children who resist and defy parental authority and guidance.’
Not a very sophisticated sentiment. Two track is the reality. And it doesn’t matter.
In a way, I actually tend to agree with him (which is a first for me). The whole 2-track thing is really bizarre if you think about. There needs to be clarity whether we are in communion or out of communion with Canterbury. There’s no middle ground in such things.
It is theological nonsense but not for the reasons he says. Catholics and conservative Protestants agree gays are brothers and sisters. But same-sex sex is a sin. BTW you and I know if he’d run off with the Sunday-school teacher he wouldn’t be the Bishop of New Hampshire today. That was the Episcopalians’ passive-aggressive way of defining doctrine. (Formed by a schism, putatively against the Pope overstepping his bounds – of course the King just wanted a son and BTW grabbing church lands was fun – yet claiming a power to change doctrine the Pope never dared. That’s Protestants for you.)
VGr is right. The two track business is nonsense, a means to put an mask on an otherwise irretrievable division. VGR however is not aware that HIS track needs to be excised so that the real Anglican church no longer need fret over the likes of him and his ilk. It is too late to paper over divisions. He and TEC should be cast into the outer darkness, or the Washington DC, whichever is the worse punishment. The century has change0d, the millenium has changed, the fin de siecle has run out, it is time to move on. VGR is yesterday’s gray water; we have a new set of dishes to wash. Larry
5: But what is the real Anglican church? An Anglican is anybody whose bishop is recognised by the Lambeth club. You’ve got the creeds and the various BCPs but who has the final say interpreting scripture? It’s between the liberal Protestant whites (and their big bucks) and the Third World nonwhite conservative Protestant majority. The losing side won’t be cast into the outer darkness; its bishops just won’t get to have tea with the Queen every 10 years any more.
It’s a compromise measure because the ABoC refuses to face the reality of persecution among traditional reasserters in the US, and wants a stop-gap measure without addressing the real problem.
But why all this pussyfooting around about a denomination that doesn’t claim to be the one true church? Not being in the Anglican club doesn’t mean ‘outside the church’ in the Anglican view.
Jesus actually taught we are either children of God or we are children of the Devil. John 8
Actually, it’s all academic. The AC and the ABC will continue to do nothing. A two track communion will never happen.
The irony is that behind this outburst are the actions of VGR and those who boosted him. While it is tempting to suggest that they only have themselves to blame, it also needs to be pointed out that actions have consequences. They took, and continue to take, actions — the outcomes are now presenting themselves.
An opinion from a “conservative Protestant outsider. . .”: if it is decided to go ahead with the ‘two-tier’ approach, it won’t last long. The conservative group will grow, prosper, and remain attached to the Holy Spirit that indwells the church; the liberal group will ‘social-club’ and politicize itself to death within about 40-50 years. There will be little or nothing left but the true church, and a rotten, smelly little remnant that used to be the liberal element.
I don’t pretend to know anything about this parish, but I do know a little bit about the Diocese of Vermont (in which I grew up):
[url=http://www.stlukesstalbans.org/]St. Luke’s Parish– St. Alban”s, VT[/url]
They are in the middle of a rector search — read the parish profile — they have some real challenges.
The trend in St. Albans and the surrounding area do not bode well for Bishop VGR’s brand of Anglicanism.
Wait and see who shows up to the next Lambeth if the ABC tries to get the two tiers together!
Agree with Jim : Jesus actually taught we are either children of God or we are children of the Devil. John 8
I think what really bothers ole Gene, is that he is not sure which he is….
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