Quote:
Originally posted by idle acts
As I understand it, even the decisions made at the Anglican Conference may not be "binding," as some Es consider them to be advisory in nature. Thus, as I understand it, the group that confirmed Bishop Robinson was free to do so without violating church doctrine.
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The Episcopal Church in America is 2.5 million members and shrinking. The worldwide Anglican Communion of which it is a member is 77 million members and growing. The problem was that the Anglican Conference in question (known as "Lambeth" for short), which is dominated by politically leftist but doctrinally conservative traditionalists in Africa (think "Archbishop Tutu"), issued a scholarly paper saying that homosexuality was "contrary to scripture."
Here's the problem: It is. Homosexuality
is "contrary to scripture." But rather than say that the church in America has moved beyond the cultural taboos and mistranslated myths of an ancient nomadic shepherd tribe, church leaders here were forced to issue statements of their own reconciling homosexuality with scripture, which is a pretty stupid exercise. They simply don't want to admit that homosexuality is now placed in a category with other Hebrew Scripture condemnations we totally ignore in modern life.
The Episcopal Church in America won't schism (is that a verb?) over this, although some parishes will leave and become independent or go over to the Catholics (don't laugh; it's happened before).
Edited to add: Also on the agenda at this General Convention were liturgical reforms that would have added a ritual for the blessing of a same-sex relationship (not a marriage). It was widely expected that this would be defeated as a sop to those who couldn't handle Robinson + same sex union blessings in the Book of Occasional Services.
