Letters
received during the week of 31 August 2003
On this side
of the Tiber, talking is permitted
FIRST
OFF, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOLKS at
Anglicans Online for your wonderful ministry.
I am sure that you have the Lord's blessing in your ability to give a
thorough run-through on both sides of any issue.
I
applaud the General Convention and the ratification of Gene Robinson.
While I
am quite new to the Anglican Communion I believe there is a breath
of fresh air running through Anglicans everywhere. That's the
Holy Spirit,
friends. It's to be expected that some will be put off by the
whole idea of gay in any capacity, but this is exactly the reason
I have come to
the Anglican Church. It's been a year now, that I have called
myself an Episcopalian and have yet to be formally received,
but this very issue
is why I decided to make my change. At least you are talking
about this. In my former, Roman Church, there is NO discussion,
NO debate, NO voting.
Roman Catholics are simply told NO, period.
Rejoice, my
new brothers and sisters, you have been chosen to announce the Good News
that all are indeed welcome at the table of the Lord.
Dan Daniels
St Andrew's Episcopal Church
Tampa, Florida, USA
1 September 2003
If only any mortal human knew for sure what Truth was
I
AM A LIFELONG EPISCOPALIAN and I always
believed that what united us
was
our worship
together in our Anglican way, not what we believed. I'm very
impatient
with those who quote scripture as the only validation of what
they believe is truth about homosexuality and (openly) gay
bishops. I read the Bible,
and I might not agree with some one else's interpretation. Does
that mean
the
either one of us is less a Christian for that or that our opinion
is less valid?
I
saw a church billboard the other day which said: 'Society has
replaced Truth with
Tolerance'. I thought tolerance was a good thing. It appears
that many Bible-thumping Episcopalians don't think so.
Warren Phillips
Church of the Holy Comforter
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA
introitp@rcn.com
1 September 2003
Do
you have information about the church in China?
THE
CHINESE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH (which was the
Anglican Church in China before being closed down in the mid-sixties
throughout China, except for Hong Kong where it still exists)
presumably
is now part of the 'Three Self' Christian Association or
the 'Patriotic
Catholic' Association, as these were the only two official
Christian organisations allowed to reopen former Churches
from 1979 onwards in China.
Does
anyone know if there was an Anglican Church in Shenyang,
Liaoning (Manchuria) North Eastern China? I would be interested
to know,
as I am moving there to lecture at a university in this
city. In the past, when I lived in this city in 1999-2000 I went
to the old Patriotic Catholic Church in Wuai for festivals.
On
another note, it is great to hear that the American Church
is proving itself to be truly Catholic, in the sense of
being 'the right faith for all people' by electing a brave, honest,
and prayerful bishop who just happens to be openly gay.
For the church
to be truly Catholic it must be open to everyone, regardless
of race, nationality, political beliefs, socio-economic
status, level of education, or anything else. That
is what the creed we say every Sunday means. The
church should not be 'dragging its heels' on issues of sexuality
but in the light of modern science and our increased understanding
of the context in which the Bible and early Church traditions
were formed, lead the way towards a fairer and more moral Church.
There
was a time when the Church insisted that the world was
flat. Learn from this historical lesson and don't
make
the same mistake in the present when it comes to matters
of sexuality in the modern world.
Martin
Murray
Australian Anglican living in PRC
Beijing, People's Republic of China
If
you have any information about the church in China, we shall
pass it on to Mr Murray. Please send your replies to editors@anglicansonline.org.
Children
are mandatory?
THERE
IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE GENERAL CONVENTION will result in a split within
the Anglican
Communion. An openly homosexual bishop is a direct contravention of scripture
and unional blessings are a step toward homosexual marriage. The Episcopal
Church has now become a modernist church that has discarded the foundation
of Christianity.
When the
leadership of an institution betrays its mission, the leadership is normally
replaced. What is obvious is that the level of scriptural betrayal and
sacramental convolution in the name of inclusion has done extraordinary
damage to ECUSA. The Bishops should be replaced if for no other reason
than they are not in touch with their people.
The sacrament
of marriage is not just about two people cohabitating. It is about lifelong
partnering and child bearing and rearing. Bishop elect Robinson has sacrificed
his commitment to a wife and children and is living openingly and without
remorse with another individual. He is not a role model for the Church.
Bob Warren
Bruton Parish
Willliamsburg, Virginia, USA
1 September 2003
We're
astounded at the sticking power of the rumour that Gene Robinson's
divorce was in
any way linked to his later finding a partner to whom he cannot be married.
Our Letters
to the Editor page of 6 July 2003 has the correct chronology.
More moral
than thou?
IT
IS PROFOUNDLY DISHEARTENING TO ME to read of certain
Primates' attempts to force the
American Church out of the Anglican Communion. I must believe that these
archbishops are motivated primarily by fear and an inability to trust
the good intentions and the holy struggle of the American Episcopal Church
and, of course and most importantly, the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
By continuing
to deny the potential for holiness among the many gays, lesbians, bisexual
and transgendered persons, both clergy and laity, who continue to call
the Anglican Communion home despite ongoing opposition and, in some cases,
out and out hostility, it seems to me these Primates are failing in their
role as our shepherds who leave the flock and search for the one sheep
that is lost.
It seems to
me that their stance is motivated by one of an assumed moral superiority
that they claim as a result of a mere accident of birth. They had nothing
to do with the fact that they were born heterosexual just as members
of the GLBT community were born they way we are.
I thank God
that I am fortunate to serve in the diocese of Indianapolis where our
bishop, Catharine Waynick, is welcoming and supportive. I am blessed
to serve at St. Paul's Church, Richmond, Indiana, where I and my partner
are able to serve and to love and be loved by God's wonderfully diverse
people.
Fr Carlton
Kelley
St Paul's Episcopal Church
Richmond, Indiana, USA
FrCarlton@aol.com
2 September 2003
Have you tried
our professional exchange programme?
THIS
PAST SPRING WE RESPONDED TO A POSTING on Anglicans Online from a family
in
England looking for a house exchange for the summer holidays. This summer
we enjoyed a wonderful few weeks in their house in the Lake District
while they tasted the delights of Southern Ontario. We had never tried
this before, but exchanged with confidence knowing that an Anglicans
Online reader would treat our property with respect, or at least feel
really
guilty if they didn't. Thank you for making this great opportunity possible.
Mary Finlay
Church of St Mary Magdalene
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
riddellwj@aol.com
5 September 2003
Earlier
letters
We launched our 'Letters
to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All of our letters are in our
archives.
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