Dr Williams admitted at a Press conference after meeting President Mugabe that homosexuality was indeed a problem within the church.
He said not everybody accepted it, but the homosexuals “deserved dignity and respect”.
“The church does not allow same sex relationships and that is common ground across the Anglicans,” he said.
“On the practice of homosexuality by bishops in the US and Canada, these are provinces, which do not represent the general line.”
“The church does not allow same sex relationships and that is common ground across the Anglicans,” he said.
I wonder if that is an accurate quotation or if it refers just to the Church of England or to the AC in general…
“On the practice of homosexuality by bishops in the US and Canada, these are provinces, which do not represent the general line.”
Then why not work harder to increase recognition for mainstream Anglicans in these provinces who do represent the general line?
Yes, David (#1),
You’re right, of course. I wish ++Rowan Williams wouldn’t talk out of both sides of his mouth, or indulge in the kind of hiding behind careful ambiguities that he does. As Paul put it in 1 Cor. 14:6, “If the bugler gives an uncertain call, who will come forth to battle?”
I’m glad the meeting took place. I thought that brutal thug of a dictator, Mugabe, might just stonewall and refuse to meet the ABoC. But the irony of such an immoral tyrant rebuking an archbishop for waffling on homosexuality is rich indeed. Sad.
I just wish that ++RW had the backbone or sense to stand up at least this much to an ecclesiastical tinpot dictator like +KJS (note the single +, David). ++RW ought to be treating +KJS and ++Fred Hiltz in CAnada like that phony schismatic +Kunonga, i.e., shunning them, as many of the Global South primates have done.
David Handy+
Meanwhile, Jim Naughton is pairing up with Janet Trisk of the Anglican Consultative Council (she of the ‘Sea of Faith’ movement well-documented at Stand Firm last year) to advance the ‘LGBT’ agenda in South Africa.
[b]CHICAGO CONSULTATION PARTNERS WITH UJAMAA CENTRE[/b]
Chicago Consultation Partners with Ujamaa Centre to Host Consultation in South Africa
In mid-October, the Chicago Consultation and the Ujamaa Centre of the University of KwaZulu-Natal will convene a gathering in South Africa to strengthen mission and advocacy connections among Anglicans who are interested in the theology of human sexuality and justice. We believe that deeper connections with each other will make it easier for us to work together in mission and to communicate productively when challenging Communion-wide issues arise. The co-conveners of the consultation are Professor Gerald West, director of the Ujamaa Centre, and Professor Esther Mombo of St. Paul’s University in Limuru, Kenya.
The consultation, which will involve about 55 people and last for three days, will be grounded in [b]the Indaba process[/b], prayer and Bible study and will explore theological perspectives on human sexuality and justice. Participants will include theologians, bishops, church leaders, grassroots advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and other people willing to engage in intensive conversations across cultural boundaries.
The participants in the consultation will share their experiences with the wider church through stories and video reflections and [b]through the report of a listening team led by the Rev. Janet Trisk, a representative to the Anglican Consultative Council from the Church of Southern Africa.[/b]
This AoC is content to let things sort themselves out on their own. I think this is called “living into the tension.” Therefore it is okay that one hand of the communion does an abominable thing while the rest of the body tries to do the right thing.
Then that hand should be cut off!
“…dignity and respect…”
What traditional Christian in TEC/ACoC could honestly say that they have received this from their church – much less pastoral respect from the ABC?
🙄
“Dignity and respect” is what the true Church (I capitalize this to mean the Bride of Christ, not any particular denomination) offers every sinner. The Church, however, does not offer [i]acceptance[/i] of the sin. Unfortunately, the Archbishop must have been sleeping in seminary the day that distinction was addressed.
The Archbishop said,
“On the practice of homosexuality by bishops in the US and Canada, these are provinces, which do not represent the general line.”
Does that mean that those province are ‘out of line?’
More specifically, does that mean that they are theologically ‘out of line’ with “…the Faith once given…”?
Or does the archbishop have two “lines?” One line that he passively supports for revisionist Anglicans in the USA and Canada and another line that he openly speaks about in the Third World?
And what about “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.”
Where does the archbishop stand on that “line?”
Well, I thought this was interesting:
[blockquote]”The church does not allow same sex relationships and that is common ground across the Anglicans,” he said.
“On the practice of homosexuality by bishops in the US and Canada, these are provinces, which do not represent the general line.”[/blockquote]
What is he now saying about TEC, post the KJS putsch attempt based in large part on South Carolina’s support for the Anglican Communion and the Covenant? I will be interested to read the other reports of this news conference.
In the strange world of TEC, on the one hand it claims to be the one sole member of the Anglican Communion, while charging others with thought-crimes when they support it. Strangely dysfunctional.
Having thrown us under the bus I could care less what he says.