{"id":5210,"date":"2003-10-15T08:36:08","date_gmt":"2003-10-15T15:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/?p=5210"},"modified":"2003-10-15T08:36:08","modified_gmt":"2003-10-15T15:36:08","slug":"for_or_against","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2003\/10\/15\/for_or_against.html","title":{"rendered":"For or against?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Njongonkulu Ndungane is the Archbishop of Cape Town, and one of the Anglican primates meeting this week in Britain regarding the current crisis in the Episcopal Church. He’s considered one of the more liberal primates, unlike many of his other brethren from Africa. This article, on Our need for moral honesty – 7336″ href=”http:\/\/www.churchtimes.co.uk\/templates\/NewsTemplate_3.asp?issue=7336&recid=2134&bimage=news&table=news&count=1″>the need for moral honesty<\/a> is an excellent one, in terms of belying the idea that reducing the debate on human sexuality within the Church into an either-or is useful, constructive, or Christ-like.<\/p>\n

Honesty and openness in dealing with difference is fundamental. I am dismayed that if Gene Robinson and Jeffrey John had been less honest, their appointments might have gone unremarked. It is no secret there are gay priests and bishops: I fear the institutional Church\u2019s ability to turn a blind and hypocritical eye. Christian maturity requires honesty from us all.
\nThere is another honesty I would like to see more in evidence. That is a moral honesty that gives priority to the most pressing issues of God\u2019s world. Why is it so easy to expend our energies on internal rows instead of focusing on God\u2019s mission to the needy and poor \u201cat our gate\u201d? We cannot allow ourselves to be endlessly diverted from tackling such complexities as poverty, HIV\/Aids, homelessness, international debt, fair trade, war and peace.
\nWhen the sheep and goats are separated, I hardly imagine Jesus will discuss our stance on \u201cthe gay-bishops debate\u201d.
\nI hope such moral honesty will help us escape the impression that the Church is obsessed with sex, and that sexual sins are the only ones that matter. I doubt that any of us can claim not to be a \u201cpersistent sinner\u201d either, whether it is a life-long inner struggle, or the callousness, even intrinsic theft, of buying cheaper rather than fairly traded products \u2014 not to mention the sin of factionalism. We are all called to grow into holiness, not into a holier-than-thou attitude.<\/p>\n

One disagreement I have with Archbishop Ndungane’s stand — and that of many who defend the General Convention, Gene Robinson, and the general idea of accepting and blessing gay relationships — is that I feel the “we are all sinners” argument does not hold water. Acceptance, let alone formal recognition and blessing, of gay relationships is, in fact, the opposite, a denial <\/i>that it is a sinful act or state. Acknowledging that God forgives our sins in this context implies that Gene Robinson should be seeking such forgiveness. I think that’s incorrect, both in its implication and in its morality. Unless we are speaking from the perspective of a Pauline “It is better to marry than to burn” regarding all sexuality, to suggest that it’s okay to ordain gay bishops because, well, we are all sinners, is, if nothing else, highly insulting.<\/p>\n

Still, the Archbishop’s words on how this issue should be far less than the unity-breaking matter that it has become is worth remembering. I hope it is remembered in Lambeth this week, as are these words:<\/p>\n

I hope the Primates will begin where the report ended: “The challenge to our Church is to maintain its unity while we seek, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to discern the way of Christ for the world today with respect to human sexuality. To do so will require sacrifice, trust and charity towards one another, remembering ultimately the identity of each person is defined in Christ.” We are not defined by our sexuality.
\nBeing defined in Christ means we irrevocably belong together. That is why the process of sharing in prayer and worship and testimony is so important in revealing what binds us to one another (and why division impoverishes and weakens the body of Christ).<\/p>\n

(via Blinne<\/a>)<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Njongonkulu Ndungane is the Archbishop of Cape Town, and one of the Anglican primates meeting this week in Britain regarding the current crisis in the Episcopal Church. He’s considered one…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[27,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religion","category-zt-pc"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7589,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2005\/01\/30\/members_of_the.html","url_meta":{"origin":5210,"position":0},"title":"Members of the Club","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 30-Jan-05 3:27pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite efforts by the Episcopal Church to follow the recommendations of the Windsor Report, various conservative Anglican leaders think ECUSA hasn't gone far enough -- i.e., they haven't completely (and...","rel":"","context":"In "Religion"","block_context":{"text":"Religion","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/religion"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":129503,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/01\/15\/more-on-the-anglican-communion-episcopal-church-kerfuffle.html","url_meta":{"origin":5210,"position":1},"title":"More on the Anglican Communion \/ Episcopal Church kerfuffle","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 15-Jan-16 7:41pm","format":false,"excerpt":"So, for any of those who take this seriously, here's an update on the Grave Communique issued by the Primates at the Anglican Communion Primates Meeting in England yesterday, in which they (more in sorrow than in anger, though, really, kind of peeved) said the Episcopal Church wasn't working and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/ens_011516_primates5B15D.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/ens_011516_primates5B15D.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/ens_011516_primates5B15D.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":129489,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/01\/14\/the-anglican-communion-finally-unifies-by-suspending-the-episcopal-church.html","url_meta":{"origin":5210,"position":2},"title":"The Anglican Communion finally unifies … by suspending the Episcopal Church","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 14-Jan-16 4:32pm","format":false,"excerpt":"There's been some concern that conservative Anglican archbishops from Africa would boycott the primates meeting in England; instead, they all showed up and drove through a resolution (though it's not clear under what authority) suspending the Episcopal Church for three years from voting within the Communion, representing Anglicans in ecumenical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11002,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2007\/04\/28\/drawing_the_line.html","url_meta":{"origin":5210,"position":3},"title":"Drawing the line","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 28-Apr-07 12:36pm","format":false,"excerpt":"For all the various conservative primates in the Anglican Communion have called on the Episcopal Church to return to traditional ways, to listen to the recommendations of the Windsor...","rel":"","context":"In "Religion"","block_context":{"text":"Religion","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/religion"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/images\/episc-shield.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10309,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2007\/02\/20\/tanzania_wraps_up.html","url_meta":{"origin":5210,"position":4},"title":"Tanzania wraps up","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 20-Feb-07 10:18am","format":false,"excerpt":"The big Anglican Primates meeting in Tanzania wrapped up Monday. 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