Letters
from 11 to 18 April 2004
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Sydney
questionnaire a 'sad error'
THE
DIOCESE OF SYDNEY proposes to ask candidates for ordination
or lay ministry to complete a questionnaire enquiring,
among other things, into their sexual behaviour. (AO, 11 April) It
asks, 'Is there any information from your past or present that
may result in allegations being made against you of sexual conduct
which would be regarded by right thinking members of the Church
in this Diocese as disgraceful and inconsistent with the standards
to be observed by a Christian?' The Diocese begs its it own question.
Exactly what are 'right thinking' members of the Church supposed
to be thinking?
The questionnaire
then immediately asks 'Have you been involved in a homosexual relationship?'
apparently on the presumption that anyone approving this could not
possibly be a 'right thinking' member of the Church. A stated, worthy,
aim of this process is to root out child-abuse. Time after time it
has been shown that this is not related to sexual preference.
The Diocese's
sad error is to put a legalism ahead of good conscience and the work
of the Holy Spirit. Christian duty is to teach the truth as best
we understand it, allowing diversity where there is disagreement
while standing fast against obvious evil. Asking written questions
will not unearth child-abusers or anyone else with criminal intent,
and we must rely on the conscience of people of good intent. This
process will only deter, hurt and discriminate against people seeking
to serve God in good conscience.
Brian
McKinlay
Canberra, AUSTRALIA.
brian@austarmetro.com.au
12 April 2004
Thumbs down
on the reviews
WHERE
OH WHERE did you dig up those awful movie reviews
about 'Christ in the Cinema' by Gregory and Maria Pearse? (New
This Week, 11 April). I read better reviews way back in junior
college days; when the movie reviewers were still intoxicated
with their first tastes of Nietzsche out of Philosophy 101. And
did the Pearses add their bucketful of Gnostic nonsense just
to appear chic? Sorry, it only added to their bombast. As a progressive
and liberal Christian, I still believe Jesus died for my sins
and am not ashamed to say so. Stupid deluded me. 'If I only had
a brain...', I'd follow the Pearses to their theological Oz.
But that's a review for another movie.
The Reverend
Thomas Gilbert
St. Benedict's Interfaith Christian Fellowship
East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, USA
Xaxisaxian2@aol.com
13 April 2004
No
digging was required on our part; the link was submitted to us
directly, like all the links at Anglicans Online outside those
in the News Centre.
A voice
from Nigeria
I
WRITE TO APPRECIATE the good work you are doing.I
have been a member of the Anglican Church for many years now
with little knowledge of the foundation of the church.
A friend
introduced me to this website few months ago and i must confess that
I am proud to be an Anglican. The website is so rich with vital information
of the Anglican church worldwide.
Finally,
may our ever faithful God continue to prosper your handywork and
also bless the Anglican church world wide even as we face some trouble
times in the history of this well founded church.
Bara Igoniwari-Brown
St Cyprian's Anglican Church, Hospital Road
Port Harcourt, (Rivers State), NIGERIA
barasus2003@yahoo.com
14 April 2004
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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