Gay Bishop Says No To Ultimatum

[cmotherofpirl]

Gay Bishop Says No to Ultimatum

Feb 27 4:11 PM US/Eastern

By RACHEL ZOLL
AP Religion Writer

(AP) -- The first openly gay Episcopal bishop, whose consecration has brought the world's Anglicans to the brink of schism, said Tuesday that the Episcopal Church should not give in to demands that it roll back its acceptance of gays.
New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson said in a statement that Episcopalians should set aside the Anglican Communion's request for now "and get on with the work of the Gospel" even at the risk of losing their place in the Anglican fellowship.

"Doesn't Jesus challenge the greater whole to sacrifice itself for those on the margins?" Robinson said. "Now is the time for courage, not fear."

It was Robinson's first public statement on an ultimatum that Anglican leaders issued last week during a meeting in Tanzania. They gave the U.S. denomination until Sept. 30 to unequivocally pledge not to consecrate another gay bishop or authorize official prayers for same- sex couples. If it doesn't, the church risks a much-reduced role in the Anglican family of churches that trace their roots back to the Church of England.

The Episcopal Church is the U.S. wing of world Anglicanism.

Robinson's comments were a direct criticism of Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who has been regarded as a liberal leader but left the Tanzania meeting saying the denomination should make concessions "for a season" until relationships with fellow Anglicans can be healed.

Jefferts Schori personally supports ordaining gays and voted to confirm Robinson in 2003; but, noting that the season of Lent was beginning, she said Anglican leaders _ called primates _ were asking for a "fast" by both sides in the debate. Conservative Anglican leaders have been asked to stop crossing into Episcopal territory to take control of breakaway conservative parishes.

Robinson said gays and lesbians were being asked to sacrifice much more than others. He compared Anglicans who oppose full acceptance of gays and lesbians to the Pharisees, and said Jesus would never have been asked to halt his ministries out of sensitivity to them.

"How will we explain this 'forbearance' to all those gay and lesbian Christians who have come to the Episcopal Church because, for the first time ever, they have believed that there is a place for them at God's table, not simply beneath it, hoping for fallen scraps?" he wrote.

Meeting these latest demands of the primates may not even avert a communion-wide split, so Episcopalians should decide in their own time whether accepting gays and lesbians is the right thing to do, he said.

"Does anyone believe that our full compliance with the primates' demands, our complete denunciation of our gay and lesbian members or my removal as bishop would make all this go away?" he asked. "For the first time in its history and at the hands of the larger communion, the Episcopal Church may be experiencing a little taste of the irrational discrimination and exclusion that is an everyday experience of its gay and lesbian members."

In a companion statement to gay and lesbian Christians, Robinson said they should not be "intimidated into doubting our own vision of God's will for the church."

Canon Bob Williams, a spokesman for Jefferts Schori, said she "is unwavering" in her commitment to a church open to all. "Her call to Lenten reflection provides space for individuals and for the church corporately to contemplate next steps forward," he said.

____

[color="#FF0000"]Would that he renounce his sin and rejoin the Church he claims to love[/color]

[Didacus]

It is when a lie is the closest to the truth that the Christian conscience screams its loudest.

Robinson is a good 'double talker', excellent at twisting the truth and pointing the finger. This sort of person can easily fool the masses.



The way I see it, is the segregation between those faithful to the One Church and those who fly by the wind of 'liberation theology' is increasing everyday and the 'Robinson' case is just one more accentuating the phenomena. This 'segregation' is not so uch a bad thing. Let the liberals take their ideology to the furthest extreme and let them see the ridiculous behind it and turn around.

[kenrockthefirst]

Gay N.H. bishop to make union official

By NORMA LOVE, Associated Press Writer Fri Apr 27, 12:26 PM ET

CONCORD, N.H. - The Rev. V. Gene Robinson became the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop. Now, he and his partner want to be among the first gay couples in New Hampshire to officially unite under a soon-to-be-signed civil unions law.

New Hampshire is set to become the nation's fourth state to offer civil unions for gay couples after legislation approved by the state Senate on Thursday was sent to Gov. John Lynch, who has said he would sign it.

"I think this moves us one step closer to the American promise to all its citizens of equality under the law," Robinson told The Associated Press. "My partner and I look forward to taking full advantage of the new law."

Robinson, 59, was elected as Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire four years ago, a move that made him a household name but also divided the Anglican community. Earlier this year, Anglican leaders demanded the U.S. denomination step back from its support of gays or risk losing its full membership in the world Anglican fellowship.

Robinson said his long journey began as a boy in Kentucky when he found he was not attracted to women. As an adult, he spent two years in therapy seeking a "cure" for his homosexual urges.

He told his girlfriend, Isabella, about his struggles, but they married anyway in 1972, moved to rural New Hampshire and had two daughters. Robinson eventually realized he would not change and the two divorced.

"The hardest thing is coming out to yourself. You've internalized the same homophobia as the rest of the culture," he said in an interview four years ago.

Soon after the divorce, Robinson met Mark Andrew, who was working for the Peace Corps in Washington. A year and a half later, the two settled in Weare, where Andrew began accompanying Robinson to his daughters' after-school activities.

The two have been together for 18 years now, and Robinson has said they would marry if they could. Andrew, 53, is a state health care administrator.

To many, Robinson has become a symbol of progress. He was welcomed two years ago at New York's gay pride parade by marchers and spectators who reached out to touch his hand, cheered, cried and thanked him.

Robinson praised New Hampshire's move toward civil unions but said more needs to be done. In particular, he said gay couples should have full civil legal rights under federal law.

"I don't think it will happen until we get several more states," he said. "It doesn't have to be a majority, but it has to be a significant number embracing full marriage rights until we can expect that at the federal level."

So far, three states offer civil unions: New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont. Massachusetts in 2004 became the only state to allow gay marriage. Washington, Maine, California, New York City and Washington D.C., recognize domestic partnerships, and New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer this week pledged to introduce gay marriage legislation.

Robinson predicted gays would have full equality in 20 years, and he attributed the gains to gays being open about their homosexuality.

"Fifteen to 20 years ago, most Americans would have told you and been reasonably honest that they did not know a gay or lesbian. Now, there's not a family left, or a co-worker, that doesn't know someone," he said.

[color="#FF0000"]Not content with ripping apart the Anglican Communion over his ordination, Robinson is now going to "unite" with his partner under NH's pending civil union law. Way to care about the faith.[/color]

[RezaMikhaeil]

Yeah I never understood the Episcopalian anti-tradition agenda. I mean, I thought that they were for tradition [to an extent], then to ordain women and homosexuals, clearly violates the scriptures and tradition.

Copts have taken a clear stand against homosexuality, so no need to worry.

Reza

[kenrockthefirst]

It continues to get better and better.

[i]McGreevey to Enter Episcopal Seminary

Article Tools Sponsored By
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 3, 2007

Filed at 2:14 a.m. ET

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- The nation's first openly gay governor has become an Episcopalian and been accepted into a seminary, according to a published report.

Former Gov. James E. McGreevey, who was raised as a Roman Catholic, was officially received into the Episcopal religion on Sunday at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York, said the Rev. Kevin Bean, vicar at the church.

McGreevey has entered the church's ''discernment'' phase, which usually precedes seminary work, Bean told The Star-Ledger of Newark in a report posted Wednesday on its Web site.

It's unclear whether McGreevey hopes to become a priest. He did not return several messages left Wednesday by The Associated Press.

McGreevey, 49, shocked the nation in August 2004 by proclaiming himself ''a gay American'' who had an extramarital affair with a male aide, and said he would resign that November. The aide denies having an affair and claims he was sexually harassed by the former governor.

McGreevey has been accepted to study at the General Theological Seminary in New York, the oldest in the Episcopal Church, school spokesman Bruce Parker said Wednesday. Parker did not know whether the former governor wants to become a priest.

''Mr. McGreevey has been admitted to the master of divinity program and he will be starting in the fall,'' Parker said. ''Where Mr. McGreevey goes with this is up to him. We have a lot of people studying here who are not interested in ordination at all.''

[b]Growing up in Middlesex County, McGreevey was an altar boy and attended Catholic schools. While in office, he continued to practice the religion, but differed from church teachings in several areas, including his support of abortion rights.[/b]

[b]Religion has become an issue in his contentious divorce proceedings. His estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, has demanded that their 5-year-old daughter not be allowed to receive communion in the Episcopal Church because she is being raised a Roman Catholic.[/b]

The issue of gay clergy has exposed divides in the worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church in the United States. Anglican leaders this year demanded the U.S. denomination step back from its support of gays or risk losing its full membership in the Anglican fellowship.[/i]

[emphasis added]

[Starets]

they are the very model of the New Espiscopalian

[Katholikos]

Our culture and society recognize the Episcopalians as initiators and providers of the following "benefits" in Christian life --
[list]Contraception
Abortion
Women "priests" (shall we call them father or mother?)
Practicing Homosexual bishops
Promotion of same-sex unions
[/list]
Anything else? Don't want to leave anything out when I send my "thank you" card. :

Likos

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Katholikos' post='1263301' date='May 3 2007, 02:18 PM']Our culture and society recognize the Episcopalians as initiators and providers of the following "benefits" in Christian life -- [list]Contraception
Abortion
Women "priests" (shall we call them father or mother?)
Practicing Homosexual bishops
Promotion of same-sex unions
[/list]Anything else? Don't want to leave anything out when I send my "thank you" card. :

Likos[/quote]
Don't forget the original-- Divorce and remarrage.

[Resurrexi]

I hope all Anglicans, whether liberal or conservative, convert to Catholicism.

[Mateo el Feo]

I feel kinda sorry for Episcopals/Anglicans, because they seem to always get our rejects, while we tend to get their "best and brightest."

[jeffpugh]

Hmm... it saddens me to see the Anglicans beings messed around like this. The devil is just toying with them now, like a cat toys its prey before consumption. I hope that this schism brings people home to the REAL Church. It's a shame that when parishes convert, they don't get to keep their church... nice architecture... and Communion rails in many parishes. I remember the communion rails of my old Anglican parish... wow that was years ago...

Edited May 3, 2007 by Sacred Music Man

[Didacus]

[quote name='Mateo el Feo' post='1263498' date='May 3 2007, 05:51 PM']I feel kinda sorry for Episcopals/Anglicans, because they seem to always get our rejects, while we tend to get their "best and brightest."[/quote]

They simply fall victim to their own devices.
God's justice doesn't need thunder and lightning.

[Ellenita]

[quote]Yeah I never understood the Episcopalian anti-tradition agenda. I mean, I thought that they were for tradition [/quote]They were a church born out of challenging tradition - marriage - since Henry VIII desired a divorce.



[quote]I feel kinda sorry for Episcopals/Anglicans, because they seem to always get our rejects, while we tend to get their "best and brightest."[/quote]


Does that include ex-anglicans at phatmass?

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='Ellenita' post='1263540' date='May 3 2007, 08:58 PM']They were a church born out of challenging tradition - marriage - since Henry VIII desired a divorce.
Does that include ex-anglicans at phatmass? [/quote]
: I sure hope so! High five ex-Anglicans! :

Edited May 4, 2007 by Sacred Music Man

[johnnydigit]

yikes. I FOR ONE LIKE EPISCOPALIANS AND ANGLICANS. *cough*

my professor once described herself and the Anglicans as "baby Catholics" and that we are closely related compared to other protestants. they often volunteer their school children at the Catholic Worker homeless shelter, and we serve food at their Church often. what's my point? i dunno. King Henry VIII was.. interesting.