The Anglican Church of Canada has been far behind the governments and courts of this country in recognizing the rights and privileges of same-sex partnerships. Although the church has passed statements of welcome and support, same-sex couples have not been able to have their commitment to one another blessed within their parish church.
This month the national decision-making body of the Anglican Church of Canada will meet in Winnipeg and one of the agenda items could open up an option for supportive dioceses to bless same-sex partnerships. If, however, this option is denied again there will be a call for more study and more discussion even though the Anglican Church in Canada has studied and debated this issue for over 30 years.
Caution has held sway over the decades because it is a divisive issue for Christian traditionalists and because the Anglican Church has to work within a vast international communion that struggles with cross-cultural tensions.
To many in the secular world this rift within Anglicanism may seem unimportant: a sign of yet another moribund institution unable to ”˜keep up with the times’. Not so; this struggle is much more broadly instructive because it is about the risks ”“and promises ”“ of communal decision-making. It is about the openness that societal organizations must allow for successful local autonomy, while at the same time fostering a broader sense of identity and kinship with those from whom they differ.
I don’t believe same-sex relationships can’t be blessed within Canadian Anglicanism: I bet it happens all the time. It’s another question whether this should be the official position of the Canadian Church. Qua liberal, I think yes. Qua someone who wants to try to keep things going, I’m all for ambiguities and non-confrontationism.
John, too bad you’re not all for Catholicism.
The first sentence of the story shows how much some Christians are willing to idol-worship evils promoted by society or government power (which essentially knows no morality). Terence Finley in this piece comes across as one who sees one of the worst sins is to not “keep up with the times.” His other unforgiveable sin apparently is to not be in lockstep with (or ahead of) the government–even, if by traditional Christian moral standards, it is driving over a moral cliff.
And of, course he throws in the word “rights” which in the gay “marriage” issue is a wholly concocted Big Lie political fantasy that has apparently ensnared T.F. (and many others).
All this reminds me of the statement by G.K. Chesterton that it is the Church which keeps believers from the degrading status of being a “child of their times.”
#3 but this is historically for a country, Canada, which has a coherent Charter of Rights but a less than coherent Constitution.
See http://www.efc.ca/pages/law/cons/Constitutions/Canada/English/ca_1982.html
for the details
sorry, “historically consistent for…”
TPaine: Actually I think that most every Christian does believe what #2 believes vis a vis homosexual behavior. I think what #2’s point is is that a handful of 21st century Western liberal activists can’t redefine Christian doctrine and expect to call themselves “catholic”.