Jul 31, 2008

"Contrary to Popular Opinion I Don't HATE Anyone Who's GAY"...God


The Word of God?
Originally uploaded by MAWGXXXXIV
ATTENTION: Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and all the Bishops/Lord ships at SEE!

"Its about Human Rights, Rowan

I’ve refrained from commenting much on the Lambeth Conference as there has not been anything official to react to and media reports do not give a good flavour of what is essentially a closed event.
However, now we have a published address from Rowan Williams.
At first sight, it seems reasonable enough. Indeed, he is making an honest attempt to hear and articulate the feelings and emotions of two hypothetical voices on either “side” of the debate.
The fact is, it is the conception of the Communion as having these two sides that is the real problem.

I don’t actually think that the attempt to sum up the “liberal” side comes anywhere near to my position at all.
The things is, its all about human rights, Rowan. This is not just about the rights of gay and lesbian people in the US, it is about all of us. It is about the rights of people in all parts of the world to self expression, to practise their religion, to live freely with dignity before God. It is about the whole people of God, (you know, the laos, you must have heard of it, you’ve read a bit of theology) being able to speak in decision making in the church. It is about women and men being treated as equal human beings. It is about the western church standing up for persecuted brothers and sisters wherever they are. It is about having the confidence that Muslim and Anglican can live together in the same street and not attack one another.
Sometimes, that means standing up to bishops, such as condemning the inflamatory remarks made by Akinola connected with inter-religious rioting in Nigeria. We’ve not yet heard any condemation from the Lambeth Conference of the circumstances which caused the UK Government to offer policial assylum to a gay Anglican this week because of the violence and persecution he could expect from his home church. That shames the whole church.
It is only when a human rights agenda gets woven into all of this that there will be dignity for all those affected.
We need human rights missionaries. We need to interfere in other jurisdictions until all God’s people are free and safe in their societies and in their churches. We need to set those high, inclusive moral standards amongst all Anglican peoples. That Covenant you are suggesting is not a patch on that vision. It is a step in another direction altogether.

Any covenant which allows anything less than treating all the baptised as equally enriched and empowered by the potential of God’s grace will result in non-juring Episcopalians again in Scotland. That would be communion breaking, not communion making. You might have some problems with it even closer to home than Scotland too.

What is proposed is not a solution.

What is proposed is the problem."

Kevin Holdsworth, Provost of St. Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow

*http://www.thurible.net/20080729/its-about-human-rights-rowan/

Thanks to my dear friends at:

The Friends of Jake

http://friends-of-jake.blogspot.com/2008/07/from-kelvin-holdsworth-provost-of-st.html

(a "hat tip" to lapinbizarre too)

5 comments:

Frank Remkiewicz aka “Tree” said...

Is it possible to negotiate the level and timing of human rights?

I think not.

Bonnie said...

Hi Leonardo--Great post and I copied these two quotes from +Gene's blog because I think they fit right in with the topic:

"A quotation from +Richard Harries, retired Bishop of Oxford: "Diversity is God's gift to us; division is what we've made of it."

"From a chat with a British priest on a diocesan staff: "Justice sermons don't go over very well here. It offends the British sense of being courteous and nice. Toleration is about as far as people are willing to go." +Gene's comment to that: "No wonder we're having a problem!"

And while I agree with his response, I don't think it goes far enough. I can't even understand why ++Rowan Williams is giving space to a bunch of deliquents who are stamping their feet and sticking out their tongues (in the vein of na, na, na, na, na, na) and wouldn't even come to the table. Like a good parent, ++Rowan should send them to their rooms until they can behave. He probably believes that his ability to shove the Southern Cone's hate mongering behavior under the rug passes for some kind of international diplomacy. He needs to cut these people loose, they are spiritually bankrupt. The more I watch the Lambeth circus unfold the more embarrased I am to say that I am a member of the Anglican Communion.

So, I see a new work of art up there. Very nice. One of yours? But, I miss your face--a most original work of art.

Leonard said...

Hi Bonnie,

I'm still NUTS because there has been ANOTHER Hate Crime committed in England...while Rowan tries to decide proper housekeeping for "keeping queers" at Church another BRITISH citizens gets mangled in Liverpool...btw, I think it is THAT DIOCESE where lunatic Anglican zealots "pride" themselves on their excludingcivity...morons all, check this out, or click on ex-gay-watch at the sidebar:

ttp://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2008/07/liverpool-boy-in-critical-condition-following-homophobic-beating/

Leonard said...

BTW, yes, the new featured artwork is FUEGO VOLCANO...by me and photographed by Juan Carlos.

Bonnie said...

Prayers ascending for this young man's full recovery. And prayers ascending for the nits who did this. God help us all. There are none so blind as those who will not see.