Comments on: Blog Rules

By: Chev James

Chev James — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:17:30 +0000

I usually don’t comment on old blog postings, but I am new here and the reason I am here is that I am dissatisfied with the present day Anglican Communion.

I see the Anglican Communion absolutely tearing itself apart in order to accommodate one particular sexual “fetish,” if you will. I would go so far as to call it a perversion.

Now, if we really accommodate the people who engage in this perversion, and go beyond tolerance to exaltation, what are we supposed to do about the other “sexually abnormal” groups? Do we accommodate pedophiles, and perform marriage ceremonies between adults and emancipated minors? Do we also perform marriages between people and goats or sheep? And how about those who desire sex with the dead? Do we marry a living person to a dead one, perhaps using a “medium” to say, “I do”? The point I am making is this: if you accommodate one deviate group, you must accommodate them all. We must do that because they all use the very same argument: “I cannot help myself. I was born this way.”

The Bishop of Atlanta was known to remark, “I cannot find anything in the Bible that speaks against homosexuality.” This statement, now was from a bishop–and a bishop who was nominated to be the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA! To say you disagree with the Bible is one thing, but to actually deny that the Bible says something is quite another.

I am a sinner. I am not better than a gay or lesbian person. I am simply not asking that my sins be treated as anything other than sins. I know, all too well, that not every desire that proceeds from the human mind is a wholesome one. To maintain our integrity, we must reject scores of untoward thoughts every day. Lust is one of those. We must keep lust within bounds. And the last thing we should be doing is having a “Lust Pride” march around our cities!

Sin is sin. If God declares chocolate ice cream to be sinful, then we are not to eat it, no matter how good it tastes, and no matter how many other people are eating it. We must obey God. And God is clear on homosexuality. God called it an “abomination.” Now, can anything that was an abomination ever be a virtuous thing?

The traditional Anglican Communion has truly lost its way. That is why I am here. I am not here because God loves me more than He loves gays or lesbians. I am here because I know that accommodating a particular sin is not the answer.

I hope we can save the Anglican Communion, but right now I have grave doubts about our prospects for success.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:08:17 +0000

This evening I discovered the ANiC webpage. There is such an abundance of material that it will take months to digest. However, in the meantime I would like to share a point of view that has helped me put our present turmoil into perspective.
The ACoC seems to have descended into mental secularism! We have all too often retreated from uncomfortable situations and un-ashamedly allowed the church to fall headlong into a secular cesspool- i.e., our aspirations, our thinking, our analysis and our prayers reflect a set of values and criteria that have at their roots “worldly” objectives and principles. I’m not saying that we don’t have a Christian ethic, practice, spirituality, morality or worship because we do. Our regretful behaviour is that we have rejected the view that sees all earthly things within the context of the eternal. We have been corrupted by secular thinking – a world devoid of eternal truth. How often have we been told to get our heads out of the clouds and be practical. If we accept this secular viewpoint we take another step in the destruction of our church. Our lives and our church must be based on the truth no matter how uncomfortable it makes us feel.
Christian truth is supernaturally grounded, not developed within the minds of men or found within nature, it is a divine revelation and not a construction. Truth is not discovered by scholarly investigation, panel discussions, majority votes, opinions, or the collective inclinations of humankind. Truth is a God-given revelation – just as God revealed himself through the incarnation. The rock of truth can only be discovered by scrapping away the soil of human prejudice and passion.
What I see coming from the ACoC is a secular religion – yes, we have Christian worship, morality, scholarship, etc – but, essentially a system of values and judgements that puts mankind and his ultimate comfort first. For instance, I am appalled when I hear church leaders suggest to you that your conscience is the ultimate arbitrator of issues such as same-sex blessings, etc. Your conscience belongs to you and it may change from morning to night but God-given truth is immutable, it is not yours! It is revealed to you and no one should ever ask you to give it away.
Our church desperately needs to discern the differences between the echoes of our biases and revealed truth.

By: dave g

dave g — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:46:22 +0000

homosexuality is not the only thing that is breaking up the Anglicn church of Canada. In fact for me it is secondary. Its the attempt by some to get totally away from scripture which includes homosexuality. I recall several years back a woman who is now a priest and has assperations to become bishop talked about putting Jesus in a box and get Him off the pedestol that we put him on. this article was printed in the Anglican newspaper. these are the things that scare me and many others. tell me what is the point of having expensive conferences such as Lambeth when if the bishops come back and go their own way. w3hat is the point of having the house of bishops gather together if some are going to go one way and others another. Ask yourselves honestly who is breaking up the Acoc. those who have left to join a group of Anglicans who believe in the Bible and preach what is and has been and still is the word of God. or those who feel they can do what ever they want with agreements that have been set in place for the benifit of the whole Anglican Communion. who feel that they are I dont know I guess above others. if your family gets together and makes a decision where majority rules. Do you say nuts Im going my own way I say go ahead but dont condem those who cant go with you.
dave g

By: Maya

Maya — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:29:28 +0000

Gillian,
Does eternity figure in your thoughts for those living active Hmsxl. lifestyles. What profit for eternity having received fleshly gratification in this life? The span of this life is so short and that which is to come is forever.
In Christ’s own words, we are asked to “be Holy even as our Father in Heaven is Holy”. He is not just Holy but is addressed as Holy, Holy, Holy. His holiness is a consuming fire and we can only come before the Father through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus. Christ has taken their burden upon Himself (even as He has taken ours )to set them (and us) free. It is up to them (even as it is up to us) to accept this and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in His light in Christ’s holiness.

Who is the greater lover? Those who want them to be gratified on earth or those who want their joy to be without compare in the presence of our God for eternity. Who we are told will rejoice over His beloved ones even as a “groom rejoices over His bride”.

In Jesus love.

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:27:45 +0000

God loves us all and includes us all in His great love – but he doesn’t leave us as we are. He purifies us, and expects us to live in a godly manner.

Jonathan, I pray for your brother. I pray for his pain and suffering because of your rejection of who he is. Can you not be like Jesus and love your brother because he loves?

My goodness, how dare you? You don’t even know Fr. Jonathan, and yet you accuse him of rejecting his brother? What arrogant nonsense.

By: Paula Valentine

Paula Valentine — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:14:20 +0000

To ask God to bless any sexual relationship outside of marriage is asking Him to bless sin. And since the bible says that a marriage is between one man and one woman then it is the only sexual relationship that we can ask Him to bless. That being said – I know people in homosexual live-in relationships and likewise with unmarried heterosexuals. Does this mean I don’t love the people involved? To jump to that conclusion would be preposterous. But I cannot – in God’s Name – bless what they are doing.

By: Sheila Sheach

Sheila Sheach — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:41:24 +0000

Thank you very much Bishop Don. My prayers are with you. . I am no longer a lost sheep without a shepard.
Sheila

By: nathn

nathn — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:00:39 +0000

My heart goes out to all involved in this debate.
All of our hearts’ cry is to know God. Disobedience/sin separated us from God in the Garden. Jesus gave us back the option of purity through His death and rez, so that we could come back to God. The church needs to be pure and spotless to know God and experience His Presence, and His Blessing. The church is to love the sinner, and to show the love of Christ to all the world, while staying obedient to God in purity.
If we the church want to know God and have a relationship with God, we must consistently come to the cross and search our hearts and allow God to purify us — thus keeping the relationship between the Almighty God and us open, unhindered, pure. Psalm 15.
I agree that we must fear what God would say to us. Not what man would say to us. God is eternal. Man is mortal.
We cannot afford to go back to a state of separation from God.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 19:12:08 +0000

Good Afternoon: I had no idea that this blog caled “Blog Rules” would develop into this.
Gillian: I was at the Niagara Synod this year and I came away in tears because my summation was “They just don’t get it”. The topic of “FEAR” was so prevalent. (BTW I now see it coming in to statements at GS 2007) The Bishop said the word fear I think I counted 11 times and Jesus not once in the preamble. We were forced to be a part of a round-table discussion to talk about our “fears”. It was suppossed to be about our fears of embracing homosexuals and their lifestyle by blessing (God’s realm not ours BTW) marriage of them. The thrust was to foster and perpetuate this fear so that anything would be accepted for the sake of love not fear. I raised eyebrows at my table when I said my fears were not about homosexuals but how The Lord sees our obedience, or lack of, to Him. This is a very common thread for those pushing this agenda, namely “If you disapprove of my actions, then you disapprove of me.” I think I pointed out that Jesus was the best example of how NOT to do this. He exposed sin. He got mad at sin. He admonished sin. But I challenge you to find where he did and does not continue to love the sinner.
Recently a well researched, documented and written paper came across my e-mail blowing every argument I’ve ever heard for condoning sin in the name of love. It’s http://robgagnon.net/ArticlesOnline.htm . I am not one being normally prone to read professor’s papers, but this is so well written it kept my attention span past my normal 3-4 pages for this type of in-depth discussion.
A distinction that the author makes (and has been making for some time now apparaently) is that between HOMOSEXUAL and HOMOSEX. It’s important because the difference is trying to be put aside/silenced/negated by those wanting to be inclusive of more actions, but not by those truly wanting to be more inclusive of more people. I pray as I think you do, that more of us, like Jesus did, fall into the second category.

By: Gillian

Gillian — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:45:02 +0000

No time to respond now. But Alan mentioned Tony Campolo. So I offer this to everyone to read and reflect on. It’s a piece by Tony and his wife.

http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/campolo.htm

Tony Campolo does think homosexuality is wrong, a sin, but he has a very interesting and, I think for this forum and for Essentials in general, an important point to make.

Let those who have ears to hear, hear.