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Letters received during the week of 11 January 2004

Gatekeepers of forgiveness?

IN MATTHEW'S GOSPEL (16:19), our Lord says (ostensibly) to Peter, 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven'.

Much theological energy has been burned in the attempt to claim that Peter and his successors were annointed by that pronouncement to be the gatekeepers of forgiveness. An equal amount of energy has been spent trying to make something else out of it. I think it deals with a more basic concept: If we forgive, there will be forgiveness; if we don't, there won't. If we do justice, there will be justice; if we don't, there won't. Astonishing, isn't it?

If we create impaired communion, communion will be impaired. If we allow communion to be impaired, it will be. If we don't, it won't.

Why is this so hard to understand?

Bill Curnutte
Portsmouth, Ohio, USA
bill@prodigalson.us
12 January 2004

Help requested for Bible software programmes

I HAVE BEEN OFFERED a present of Bible software, but I have searched in vain for any advice on how to choose from what is available. Can anyone tell me if there is such a thing as English (preferably Anglican) Bible software or do I have to choose between the various, apparently fairly similar, American conservative products?

The Reverend Jennifer Edie
St Ebba's Scottish Episcopal Church
Foulden, Scottish Borders, SCOTLAND
12 January 2004

If AO readers have suggestions, please email them to us and we'll forward them to Ms Edie.

Yes, it would have been so bad

GREETINGS FROM AN INCREDIBLY HOT AND SUNNY New Zealand! First things first, the obligatory congratulations: I really enjoy your site. Thank you.

Just a short message from me to H E Baber: In answer to your question:"Would it have been so bad if the Church had simply conducted business as usual--maintaining buildings, churning out Elizabethan liturgy, visiting the sick, comforting the dying and conducting rites of passage rather than attempting to formulate positions on controversial ethical issues and to promulgate them? Would it have been so bad if the Church has just kept its collective mouth shut?"

YES!

The Reverend Brian Dawson
St Luke's Anglican Church
Hawkes Bay, NEW ZEALAND
st.lukes@paradise.net.nz
17 January 2004

Earlier letters

We launched our 'Letters to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All of our letters are in our archives.