Episcopalians Address Gay Bishop Impasse

By RACHEL ZOLL
The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 20, 2006; 11:43 AM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062000581_pf.html


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Episcopal General Convention tried again Tuesday to break an impasse on whether to meet Anglican demands that the U.S. church stop electing gay bishops for now.

If delegates fail to approve some restriction on electing gays to the high-level office before the meeting ends Wednesday, it could hasten a split in the family of Anglican churches, which already is badly divided over the Bible and homosexuality.

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Legislation must pass both the House of Deputies and House of Bishops. If delegates don't send the legislation to the House of Bishops by the end of business Tuesday, there is almost no chance the idea of a moratorium could be resurrected, church officials said.

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The critical debate in the Episcopal Church came on a day when another American Protestant denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), planned to decide on whether to allow leeway on the ordination of gay clergy and lay elders and deacons.

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While conservatives are a minority within the American denomination, the majority of overseas Anglican leaders believe the Bible bars gay sex. They have pressured Williams, the communion's spiritual leader, to take some action against Episcopalians if they fail to adhere to that view.

Many Anglican churches have already broken ties with the U.S. church over Robinson's elevation. And if overseas leaders dislike the outcome of this week's meeting, it greatly increases the chances that the association of 38 national churches will break apart.

The situation has been complicated by Sunday's election of Nevada Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as the first Episcopal presiding bishop _ the first woman ever to lead an Anglican province. Only two other Anglican provinces _ New Zealand and Canada _ have female bishops and many Anglicans believe women should not be ordained.

I hope they can hold things together and bring change to the rest of the Anglican church.

If they cave, rest assured the next thing the conservatives will want is to force them to elect a new head bishop. It is more important to do what is right in your heart than to play politics.

just as God called Bishop Jefferts Schori and the rest of the clergy in our church

I think that some of those clergy need to open their hearts and their minds to the fact that Jesus told us to love our neighbors, and not just some of our neighbors

Episcopal Church group rejects curb on gay bishops

Reuters
Tuesday, June 20, 2006; 5:24 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062001054_pf.html

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A proposal for the U.S. Episcopal Church to impose an unofficial moratorium on ordaining more openly gay bishops was rejected on Tuesday in a vote that could further roil relations with fellow Anglicans worldwide.

The issue is not completely dead since the triennial convention of the 2.3-million-member U.S. church will not close until Wednesday evening and the issue could be revived.

But the rejection by one of two legislative policy-making houses meeting in Columbus, Ohio, makes it less likely that the church will impose a moratorium on future gay bishops as the Anglican church spiritual leadership had suggested.

The Anglican Communion, as the global church is known, has been in turmoil for three years since the last such convention of the U.S. church approved the consecration of Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first bishop known to be in an openly gay relationship in more than 450 years of Anglican history.

we are having a Bishop election for our Diocese this year.

I'm not sure how time frames are set up for different Diocese' to elect Bishops (whether it is at the same time, or spread out over years so that they don't all come together as new Bishops.)

But, as that happens, we will see what is in the hearts of Episcopalians as a Church.

If they put new Bishops in that support gay Bishops, then that will be one thing. If they don't, then that will be another.

There is a schism in the Episcopals right now over the gay Bishop in New Hampshire, not so much because he is gay, but because he is openly gay and in a sexual relationship.

A celibate gay is somehow easier to accept than an non-celibate one.

they don't want to think about anyone having sex except in the missionary position with the lights off

there are a lot of people I don't want to think about having sex at ALL!

:rofl:

that not long ago (in my memory as an adult) Gene Robinson would have lost his parish for divorcing his wife, much less "taking up with" a man.

Times have changed.

Things really haven't been going their way lately.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1652633/posts

My favorite one was this:

To: Peach
Maybe its just me but I don't want to be led by a man who puts his hee-hee into another mans ha-ha. Pretty simple.



22 posted on 06/20/2006 1:18:03 PM PDT by samadams2000 (Somebody important make The Call.....pitchforks and lanterns.!)
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I was thinking about opening yet another account and posting back.

"Then again, maybe he doesn't want to be led by a man who puts his hee-hee in a woman's ho-ho."

But it's just to late for that stuff. Why do these people care what other people do with the genitalia? Are they just that sexually traumatized?

Because they are complete control freaks. They want to control what people do with nearly every aspect of their lives from cradle to grave, though sexual and reproductive matters are of more concern than others. Sex must be between a man and woman, only in certain positions, only between certain body parts, preferably with no birth control but definitely no hormonal birth control, no abortions allowed, etc, etc.

Those people make my head feel like it's going to explode. :nuke:

because I think that a lot of people have had homosexual fantasies, and even experiences who aren't homosexual

but it is so alien to their belief system that they short out and become over reactors to it.

it's not just control,

it's pure unadulterated fear of losing control (of themselves)

Legislation must pass both the House of Deputies and House of Bishops. If delegates don't send the legislation to the House of Bishops by the end of business Tuesday, there is almost no chance the idea of a moratorium could be resurrected, church officials said.

I'm very interested in knowing :hi:

to get a more up and down vote on the issue this morning.

Should know later today.

Here is a blog being written at the Convention site by Jim Naughton, director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

http://www.dailyepiscopalian.com/