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Why does Rowan Williams bow down before those belligerent African Anglican bishops and their conservative supporters who view homosexuality as "unnatural" and a "sin"? By doing so he is not only betraying the spiritual welfare of gay Anglican communicants but also undermining any claims his church has to be established.
Dr Williams has ended this decade's Lambeth Conference claiming he is "content" with the way things have gone but this is only papering over a crack that will widen into schism. Two hundred conservative bishops didn't turn up for the conference at all, while the man who personifies the clash of cultures, the Right Rev Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, was refused an invitation on the grounds of his sexuality.
The Archbishop may assert that there is scriptural authority for the denial of equal opportunities to gay Anglicans, yet this is the same Old Testament fundamentalism that leads to denying the discoveries of Galileo or Darwin - not something he subscribes to at all. Besides, his is an explicitly political church - he owes his own appointment to a prime minister - and Britain is a nation where gay rights are enshrined in law, including the right to same-sex union. If Dr Williams wants his church to remain the official state religion in this country, he and his male bishops should get with the programme when it comes to the full recognition of women and homosexuals, instead of insisting that there be a moratorium on any further ordinations of openly gay priests, let alone - gulp! - women bishops.
But, most worryingly, the Archbishop's position gives ammunition to those regimes where institutionalised homophobia and misogyny have truly tragic consequences. Two of the bishops who've been vocal in their lambasting of the liberals hail from Uganda and Nigeria, states where punitive laws against homosexuals are still on the statute book: a man was sentenced to death for being gay by sharia courts in northern Nigeria only last month.
In an interview yesterday, Williams speaks of how the worldwide Anglican communion is important because "there may be a complicated development-issue we can broker". This idea of Anglicans as auxiliary peacekeepers is a nonsense, and for once I agree with those African conservative bishops who accuse Lambeth Palace of neo-colonialism.
The Anglican church, as constituted, is first and foremost the Church of England, and is charged expressly with ministering to the spiritual needs of all of us, regardless of whether we even believe in God. You would think that with his church's attendance still declining, Williams would want to reach out to everyone who genuinely understood the New Testament ethic of tolerance and love - and leave those who still want to be bigots to join other denominations.
Reader views (14)
Since, sex appears to be the only real constant topic for "orthodox" African Bishops, why don't they spend at least as much time railing against polygamy in Africa? They need to get the mote out of their own eye in their own backyard.
- Sam Cole, Memphis, TN.
Will quotes the "the New Testament ethic of tolerance and love". Must be a different New Testament to the one I've read.
- Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland
Andrew - all kinds of acts are described as sins in the new testament and as Will Self points out, the Archbishop does not subscribe to all of them - who decides which ones are right and wrong? I thought God was the only one who could do that?
The CofE is a political religion - if the church wants to be the church of England with it's leader as our head of state, it has a duty to represent and encourage all British people to enter the church and not exclude them on grounds that the wider society have decided is illegal.
Pandering to bigoted sects will weaken the church not strengthen it - if they want membership to increase show some strength and stand up for what they believe.
Failing that, remove them as the official religion - if they can't follow the law, they have no right to be there. Personally, Jediism is looking good right now.
- Rg, London
The point is that a Christian Bishop such as Akinola should be forthright in his opposition to Sharia (and Nigerian national) courts imposing severe and unjust penalties on homosexuals - his silence is deafening!
And even if conservative Christians are right about what the New Testament says(and I don't think it's as clear cut as Andrew from Japan does) Anglicans are not slaves to a literal interpretation of culturally determined scriptures. Extreme conservatives are free to join one of the many Bible-bashing fundamentalist churches - the CofE is meant to be more liberal and tolerant than that!
- Andrew Holden, oxford, uk
What a sadly blinkered & myopic comment! Will Self's heart's in the right place, but if he were a 5th former he wouldn't get 40% from his current affairs teacher for his factual knowledge of what he is writing about. There are too many factual mistakes to enumerate.
- Graeme Watson, London UK
It isn't JUST Rowan's job, it is the job of all clergy in the ACommunion.
As I have asked and asked, just WHEN did it become okay for ANYONE in our Communion to advocate for violence against another human being?
If the sense of the communion is not explained in words, it is surely explained in silence.
- Cany, Orange CA, USA
The Archbishop seems to know where the Center is among the Anglican Communion and is staying a little to the right of it in hopes of keeping the losses to a minimum... for now. Since it unlikely that the Covenant including the moratoria on ordinations and blessings will be ever ratified by TEC or ACCn, or the Church of Scotland and several others, what the Archbishop has done is bought more time for more talk and hopefully fewer defections as the matter slowly plays itself out.
- Sarah, Burlington, VT USA
To hell with Canterbury and its foreign bishop and all the other foreigners who dare to tell a National Church on the other side of the world what we may and may not do. Neither Canterbury nor Lambeth have such authority. The worldwise communion is a crock and has been since Carey made bishops fly, fly like the wind to give solace to elderly bigots. We are done with it and with him. The time has now come to be what we are created to be: a blessing in the world, instead of the malicious, bigot-placating hypocrites we are forced to be in the pathetic vestige of Empire: the Anglican Communion. It's time for a North American Church, forever free of Canterbury and its tender ministrations to the Bishop of Rome and other medieval jerks.
Oh, and Andrew: try reading the passage through Romans 2. You'll see it says you're nobody to judge anybody else. Proof-texting: don't do it, kids!
- Jennifer, Diocese of New Westminster, Vancouver, Canada
The weakness of Self's analysis is that he does not appear to understand the traditional Christian teaching regarding sin, in this case homosexuality, and the one sinning. Because sin has serious spiritual consequences for the one sinning and the society at large, the church, quite rightly, seeks to warn sinners of the danger that they are in. The response of love is to help the individual find a better way. This message, of reaching out to sinners, whilst pointing out the dangers of their sin, tends to be lost by many commentators.
Gay and straight Anglicans are treated equally in being called to live holy lives which are congruent with the teaching given by the Holy Spirit over many years. Where any Anglican fails to do so, he or she is called to confess their sin, and start afresh in living a holy life, being supported in this by the Holy Spirit and other Anglicans. It is where there is a refusal to do this that separation can occur.
On the point that the state church should "get with the programme", you should realise that for the state church to remain Christian, it must adhere to the higher authority of biblical standards, not follow the descent from holiness shown in some recent legislation. For the good of British society, it is time that Britain gets on with following Christ and His teaching.
- Colyn, Chichester, England
Well said Will.
- Martin Reynolds, Newport Wales
The Church has become a target for homosexuals who value their activities much higher than any possible ministry. There can be no place in the Anglican club for practising homosexuals.
- Ken, Belfast Northern Ireland
Eating shellfish is also a sin per Leviticus...so what's your point Andrew? Better stay away from that sushi!
- Bradley, Lakewood, Ohio, USA
"What do they know of England who only England know?"
Rowan Williams is right. The worldwide Anglican community is important.
- Mary, London
Homosexual acts are described as sins in the New Testament. (see Romans)
And Sharia courts are Muslim, not Christian.
- Andrew, Japan
