On Thursday, June 10, members of General Synod 2010 passed resolution A115 ”” Affirmation of Sexuality Discernment. The resolution affirms a statement on the discussions that took place at General Synod on human sexuality and, “requests the General Secretary to forward it to the Diocesan Bishops with the request that it will be distributed within each diocese.”
Read it all and read the whole Sexuality Discernment report also.
[blockquote]For many members of General Synod there is deep sadness that, at this time, there is no common mind.[/blockquote]
Is this the money quote?
The report notes that: [blockquote]We engaged these conversations within the particularity of our Canadian context – a country that is diverse and many cultured.[/blockquote]
Two brief thoughts:
1) Yes, Canada is a multicultural complex. However, it is disingenuous to present this fact in such a way as to suggest that this has any impact on the ACoC’s views on sexuality. Most (if not all) of the immigrant cultures are, in fact, conservative regarding questions of sexuality. It is the liberal, predominately white culture that is accepting of homosexual lifestyles.
2) The report seems to assume that the surrounding culture has authority to mold the Church’s moral teaching. The “spirit of the age” can, to some extent, dictate what kind of gospel the Church preaches. This is not contextualization- it is syncretism.
Disappointing, but not unexpected.
#2 I rather think this one is:
[blockquote]We acknowledge diverse pastoral practices as dioceses respond to their own missional contexts. We accept the continuing commitment to develop generous pastoral responses. We recognize that these different approaches raise difficulties and challenges. When one acts there are implications for all. There can be no imposition of a decision or action, but rather we are challenged to live together sharing in the mission of Christ entrusted to us, accepting that different local contexts call at times for different local discernment, decision and action.[/blockquote]
Sorry that is #1
#3. Pageantmaster,
If you electronically convert your paragraph from text to speech, it sounds almost identical to the voice of KJS. In either case I think the answer is “Not yet”.
Money quotes again: “Often, in processes of discernment, the task is to see our way through a paradox.â€
The key however is simply this. What if it is no paradox, but rather a blunt [i]contradiction[/i]: that two [b]opposing[/b] views may NOT “walk together�!
They were out-chickened by Rowan Williams. They did not have the gonads to stay the course for their new thang gospel. Real leadership there, Fred.