What is your opinion on the Gay Bishop?

[Dandey]

The Midge,
You have some sensible things to say, but I think you are too hard on evangelicals.

I joined an Anglican church a year ago after over 50 years as a Baptist because it is close to my new home (the local church) and is thoroughly evangelical.

There is a case for excluding from Communion those who are continuing in sin. Discipline in today's church is woefully weak. What I have against the man is not that he is a homosexual as such but that he is indulging in sin. It would be the same if he was hating someone, jealous or failing in his Christian life in some other way.

“27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognising the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29 NIV)

Is he recognising the body of the Lord? I do not think so. I think we exclude ourselves from the Body of Christ when we are in sin. Love has been used carelessly as a metaphor for indulgence. Tolerance of sin is the fashion of the day but it is never part of the Gospel

 

[Foundthelight]

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

1Ti 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Does Mr. Robinson meet all the above requirements? (I am sure he meets some.)

If he does not, he is not fit to serve in a leadership position.

To take it a little further;

Jesus came to complete the law and give us freedom from the law.
He did not come to give us freedom to sin, nor did he change the definition of sin. Paul, who received the Gospel by direct revelation from Jesus, is a reliable new testement source. He stated more than once that the homosexual act is still a sin against God.

An unrepentent sinner cannot serve in a leadership position in the chuch.

The greatest sin here is that committed by those who laid hands on him to elevate him to the position of Bishop. They have denied the headship of the Lord.

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence

 

[Icystwolf]

The midge,

I agree with those statements except the evangelicals hate gays. The main problem i think your seeing, which I too saw in evangelical churches is the lack of teaching about habits such as homosexuality.

The problem isn't that the heads of evangelical churches are making their Christians hate gay, but rather, the Christians within were never taught or lightly taught how to deal with the issue of homosexuality.

As far as i know, the new bishop has divorced once. That itself is a clear indication that he cannot handle his family affairs properley, and let alone handle the church. Divorces in the US are so common, that they've almost forgotten the issue that divorcing is immoral, just as much as any other sin.

 

[Salsa_1960]

I almost hate to get into discussions like this. I believe that it's a sin to practice homosexuality, but I feel like I'm in such a minority that my voice isn't even heard....and when it is, I am seen as a gay-basher or a homo-phobic.

I don't, though, see homosexuality as any MORE of a sin than I do adultery, gluttony, alcoholism, or any other sin that becomes a lifestyle. There is, however a big gap between having tendencies and practicing those behaviors.


~Sandy

 

[Fiskare]

I think it is a sad day for that denomination of Christianity. For some reason Anglicanism has always been liberal, which is said coz liberalism will end up destroying that Church if they dont be careful.

I would not agree that Anglicanism has always been liberal, because English Christianity has been around since the start, and liberalism is a modern trend, that has influenced every church on the face of the planet, but has created different reactions in various places.

The Anglican Church is not the first and only church to ordain gays. However, it is the first major denomination to openly have a gay bishop. There are lots of sinners in leadership in various denominations that are hidden from public view.

This is the point that US Anglicans are saying- they are very open about their conflicts with liberalism and conservativism and all can see what the church is going through.

In a sense, this is a warning call to all churches- don't let the liberals run the place. They have never been in the majority, yet they have a big voice. The fact that the majority of Anglicans have stood very firmly against this is a good sign.

If i was a Anglican i would boycott the whole church until that guy was gone..its a direct violation against God and His law and for a Church that supposedly claims to uphold the laws there doing a really bad job of it

Some people will do that, and you can't blame them. If we see something wrong we must act on our informed conscience. I have a few friends in my parish who left their former denomination over its protection of pedophile clergy. Sin is everywhere.

 

[The Midge]

The Midge,
You have some sensible things to say, but I think you are too hard on evangelicals.

I joined an Anglican church a year ago after over 50 years as a Baptist because it is close to my new home (the local church) and is thoroughly evangelical.

There is a case for excluding from Communion those who are continuing in sin. Discipline in today's church is woefully weak. What I have against the man is not that he is a homosexual as such but that he is indulging in sin. It would be the same if he was hating someone, jealous or failing in his Christian life in some other way.

“27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognising the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29 NIV)

Is he recognising the body of the Lord? I do not think so. I think we exclude ourselves from the Body of Christ when we are in sin. Love has been used carelessly as a metaphor for indulgence. Tolerance of sin is the fashion of the day but it is never part of the Gospel

Dear Dandey
I am an Evangelical! And I'm an anglican for many of the same reasons as you iafter a time with a Baptist Church.

I think that the sin of taking communion without recognising the body of the Lord is a sin against God not fellow communicants. Therefore it is up to God to deal with it.

Toleranace of sin is wrong. But what does the passage in Mark about the woman caught in adultury teach us about it? The state of some is that they can't recognise sin or agree what a sin is. Are we failing to recognise the body of the Lord if we refuse to be in communion with others? Can we only exclude our selves from the communion and not others?

By leaving a church we cut ourselves off from all those who have not "sinned" as well. Do a few rotten apples spoil the whole barrel when all the apples have a blemish?

 

[The Midge]

The midge,

I agree with those statements except the evangelicals hate gays. The main problem i think your seeing, which I too saw in evangelical churches is the lack of teaching about habits such as homosexuality.

The problem isn't that the heads of evangelical churches are making their Christians hate gay, but rather, the Christians within were never taught or lightly taught how to deal with the issue of homosexuality.

As far as i know, the new bishop has divorced once. That itself is a clear indication that he cannot handle his family affairs properley, and let alone handle the church. Divorces in the US are so common, that they've almost forgotten the issue that divorcing is immoral, just as much as any other sin.

Icy
I refer to report in the press that told about protestors who turned up with placards with gay hate slogans. I don't think Evangelicals hate gays, I just think that kind of slogan is not theologicaly correct. Neither is it a way to approach this issue.

I agree that there is more than just the gay issue regarding the suitablity of this particular Bishop.

 

[The Midge]

I almost hate to get into discussions like this. I believe that it's a sin to practice homosexuality, but I feel like I'm in such a minority that my voice isn't even heard....and when it is, I am seen as a gay-basher or a homo-phobic.

I don't, though, see homosexuality as any MORE of a sin than I do adultery, gluttony, alcoholism, or any other sin that becomes a lifestyle. There is, however a big gap between having tendencies and practicing those behaviors.


~Sandy

True.

last night we were discussing the Bishop from Zimbabwe who has been implicated in allegations of missing funds and the land grab from white farmers. If we are being consistent and fair should we break communion with that region too? Where will we stop?

Does anyone want to join My Church? I'm the only one in it

 

[Icystwolf]

Icy
I refer to report in the press that told about protestors who turned up with placards with gay hate slogans. I don't think Evangelicals hate gays, I just think that kind of slogan is not theologicaly correct. Neither is it a way to approach this issue.

I agree that there is more than just the gay issue regarding the suitablity of this particular Bishop.

That I have to agree, the "I hate ****" or "God hates ****" is definately not on. God loves all because of Jesus and his grace.

I think the media is focusing too much on the "gay issue", when the truth is, the issue is around 70% gay and 30% other, whilst the media portrays it as 100% gay.


Hmmm,I'm interested in your church. Does this include world domination?