“All truth passes through 3 stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
I believe we are now in the “violently opposed” period of the universal Church’s change in belief of Truth concerning homosexual people and their inclusion in the Church and God’s purview, let alone in the full life of society.
Today is the final day of the brief but very important meeting of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops in Salt Lake City. The bishops are meeting to deal with the Windsor Report issued last October by the Lambeth Commission on Communion. The Anglican Communion, and elements of the Episcopal Church, are up-in-arms after the 2003 General Convention’s consenting to the ordination of the first openly-gay bishop (Gene Robinson of the Diocese of New Hampshire) and its acknowledgement that the blessing of same-sex unions is taking place within Episcopal Church congregations. For most who oppose the above actions, they also oppose the ordination of gay clergy (deacons, priests, and bishops), period.

“All truth passes through 3 stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
I believe we are now in the “violently opposed” period of the universal Church’s change in belief of Truth concerning homosexual people and their inclusion in the Church and God’s purview, let alone in the full life of society.
Today is the final day of the brief but very important meeting of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops in Salt Lake City. The bishops are meeting to deal with the Windsor Report issued last October by the Lambeth Commission on Communion. The Anglican Communion, and elements of the Episcopal Church, are up-in-arms after the 2003 General Convention’s consenting to the ordination of the first openly-gay bishop (Gene Robinson of the Diocese of New Hampshire) and its acknowledgement that the blessing of same-sex unions is taking place within Episcopal Church congregations. For most who oppose the above actions, they also oppose the ordination of gay clergy (deacons, priests, and bishops), period.
I have not been as obsessive with this meeting and the report to be issued as I was with the approaching release of the Windsor Report. I think most of us who have reconciled our faith and orientation and who are in the ordination process have found it necessary to separate ourselves to a degree, even though it is really impossible to do so. If we allowed all the stuff being said or written about us – we are intrinsically evil, we are demon possessed, our intent is literally to destroy the Church, marriage, and western civilization, that God will destroy the Church and this country if we are allowed to be viewed as a normal and good part of nature, and the demand that there be a moratorium on all ordinations of gay people along with an end to the Church’s advocacy for the full inclusion of gay people in the life of the Church – we would be quite a state. There are more focused and inflammatory comments, but what’s the point of repeating them?
From everything I’ve heard, and my ear has not been all that attentive over the past few months, the prohibitionists continue to call for the Church to repudiate its actions concerning the ordination of +Robinson as bishop, to stop the ordination of gay people, for all bishops who participated in +Robinson’s consecration to voluntarily exclude themselves from all Anglican councils, and that all who support +Robinson to literally get on their knees and repent to the rest of world Anglicanism of our “sin,” etc. The demand is there and has been, but for the American Church this meeting is the first opportunity for the bishops to respond to the Report and to either align themselves with the prohibitionistsÂ’ demands or with the ChurchÂ’s prior decisions.
Many say this is all about the American Church’s unilateral decisions that change the 2,000 year-old Christian understanding of scripture and tradition concerning homosexuals and imposing its decision on the rest of the Anglican Communion. I don’t believe it. Unilateralism is part of the problem, but the American Church has been dealing with this issue for over 30 years, as has most of the Western Churches. Through our study, prayer, reflection, and experience we have made a decision that we feel is more in line with a proper understanding of scripture, reason, experience, and GodÂ’s will.
Many within our Church do not like the change; many Christians around the world are up in arms about the change, but through our councils we believe this is the direction God is leading this Church. There are plenty of problems to be faced, and plenty of bogs to pass through, but it is the direction I see as the only proper one. I am the first to say that there is a lot of problems within the general gay community and many aspects the Church needs to speak out against, but these problems are no different then the problems faced within the heterosexual community. Those who decide to peruse the life presented to us by God through scripture, reason, and tradition and who come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ have made decisions that mean their lives will be different than those “in the world.” It is inevitable, but perhaps as God works on us life in Christ will be different than a lot of people would like.
The Pharisees during JesusÂ’ day were only doing what they believed to be the right thing, according to their own understand of God and GodÂ’s will. Jesus was clear that they were wrong. Many within the Church today are in the same situation. Soon, the change occurring concerning homosexualÂ’s part in society and the Church will seem self-evident, but for now we are in the midst of violent opposition.