Right now over the House of Bishops / Deputies Listserv, some folks have their polity all in a bunch over
this letter by Archbishop Peter Akinola, the Anglican Primate of Nigeria, where he lays out in detail The Episcopal Church's repeated middle-finger salutes to the rest of the Anglican Communion over issues of human sexuality.
Even after all the years of meetings, communiqués, conventions, synods, listening processes, and the rest, there is one elemental question that still needs an answer:
Is homosexual practice compatible or incompatible with Scripture? Either it is, or it isn't.
So I ask you,
Louie, Liz, Tom, Nigel, Walter, +Katherine, Executive Committee, Bishops, et. al., can you tell this check-writing-pew-sitter how you would answer that question? Don't dodge around with a bunch of "how-are-we-to-know-the-will-of-God?" silliness. If Scripture is the revealed Word (and therefore will) of God, we know the answer to that question; so let’s drop the circular argument. And no yammering on about polity, canons, conventions, autonomy, listening processes, borders, contexts, conspiracy theories, greater understandings, or the MDG's. I want a simple
"I believe homosexual practice is compatible with Scripture," or
"I do not believe homosexual practice is compatible with Scripture."Can't do it, can you?
UPDATE: I just read a post on the HOB/D Listserv that, while I cannot quote or republish, I think requires a response. For all that I may disagree with Louie Crew about over this current issue, he has shown remarkable Christianity in his comments about his opponents (that would be folks like me), and he has earned my respect because of that. Mr. Crew, I am glad you see the doors as always open. I wish I could say the same for many others on your side who post there. (Or many on my side who post elsewhere.)
