The archbishop of Canterbury, under fire for appearing to link expanded gay rights in the United States to violence against Christians in Africa, said on Thursday that he is advocating for a slow and deliberative response to same-sex marriage, mindful of the global implications.
“I think we need to be aware of the realities on the ground, in our own countries and around the world, and to take those into account when we’re moving forward,” the archbishop, Justin Welby, told reporters in Oklahoma City, where he was meeting with the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church and attending a conference on violence.
“It doesn’t mean you necessarily do something other than you feel is the right thing to do,” he said, “but you’re aware of the need perhaps to do it in a different way.”
I have been a critic of Archbishop Welby, but I think he deserves credit for engaging in this discussion honestly. I think the response he is seeing from revisionists in general, and TEC revisionists in particular, is very much like the response that bishops such as +Ackerman and +Duncan received to their objections over VGR’s consecration. His remarks in recent weeks, and the response from the left, are clarifying the existing division within the Communion, and making clear that there are indeed, 2 gospels being preached.
To whom has it been unclear, even prior to ++Welby’s arrival on the scene?