He compared biblical interpretations of same-sex relationships with those of slavery \u201d\u201c a practice once defended by the Church. As opinions on that changed, he suggested, so may the Church\u2019s view on same-sex relationships.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn spite of all the passages in favour of slavery, when you examine the Scriptures as a whole and the ministry of Jesus in particular, you realise it is about freedom from all that diminishes and dehumanises people. No Christian I hope would today argue that slavery is good, but for nineteen centuries the Church accepted it and defended it. God through His Holy Spirit has led us into the truth of seeing things in a totally different way today and we are rightly horrified when we read about people who have been kept as slaves by others.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat all this amounts to is that one cannot argue that there is one accepted traditional way of interpreting Scripture that is true and orthodox and all else is modern revisionism, culturally conditioned. Scripture itself is diverse and theological views held in some biblical books are reshaped in the light of experience by other writers\u201d\u00a6.<\/p>\n