A member of the Windsor Continuation Group (WCG) has stated that the body’s proposal for a “retrospective” moratorium on same-sex blessings means that dioceses such as Vancouver-based New Westminster “will be asked to reconsider and withdraw that right.”
The words “retrospective moratorium”, which has the potential to affect a number of Canadian dioceses, has caused confusion among Canadian bishops attending the decennial Lambeth Conference here. Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said this, along with other proposals put forward by the WCG, was a matter that the house of bishops and the Council of General Synod ”“ the church’s governing body between General Synods ”“ would have to discuss.
Bishop Victoria Matthews, a member of the WCG and bishop of the diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand, said with the retrospective moratorium, “it isn’t just from here on there will be no new ones”¦”
Or else…what?
This is useless and untenable for all parties. Reduce TEC to “diminished status” if you must and then let both sides move forward, unhindered and with no legal repercussions.
We are like a divorced couple, in a relationship that is shredded but who are living together in a toxic environment because both parties refuse to leave the beautiful home they have shared for so many years. It is a tragedy, it is awful and it break’s God’s heart but we have been through tons of counseling, we have listened unto death to each other, we are suing for who gets to keep the house and we are beggining to hate each other…all on a global scale for all to see. “Look how these Christians love one another” canno’t be said of us and so guts all of our ministries and brings scandal to our witness.
The time has come, to let go and move on. We will all be diminished, damaged and wounded but if we choose to “walk apart” we may one day find a way to forgive and to be friends. There is little doubt that we have become enemies to each other in this church but Christ said something about how we should treat our enemies. Let it stop. Let us reappraisers accept diminshed status and let reasserter folk keep their properties in a way that is fair and ethical to all…many bishops were doing this just fine before 815 demanded lawsuits in all cases. Let us depart in peace. Love is stronger than death, God brings good from evil. Much like slavery split this church and familes were aganst families with abolitionists versus slave holders persuaded that scripture endorsed their right to have slaves…for awhile the Church was rent in half over this issue, as was the country. Yet in God’s time we were woven and spun back together again. Both sides were passionate and convicted in their conscience they were on God’s side. Honestly, in this war, I don’t know which side is right although I obviously am more persuaded by one argument than the other. Let us depart in peace to love and to serve before this hate turns into a war. Let God do the sorting and the weaving and the reconciling in His own way and time.
Notice that they use “retrospective” to mean one thing for SSBs and bishops, and another for border crossings. Such dishonesty.
Archangelica, I agree with you 100 percent. You have said it much more eloquently than I ever could have. When you reach the point of not wanting reconciliation, you are finished. The listening thing has gone on entirely too long. What the revisionists want is acceptance of their changes, not just listening. Just listening is not the same as agreeing.
Pendennis88, I also agree with you. I wonder why nobody called her on that?
Well said, Archangelica.
#2,4,5 – with non-Solomonic wisdom, then, you would rather see the baby sliced in half? Glad you’re not my mother…..