Conservative Anglicans Plan Rival Conference as Split Over Homosexuality Grows

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Conservative Anglicans Plan Rival Conference as Split Over Homosexuality Grows
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: June 20, 2008

Once a decade, hundreds of bishops of the international Anglican Communion meet in Canterbury, England, for the Lambeth Conference.

This summer, in the most tangible demonstration yet of the church’s divide over homosexuality, more than a quarter of the invited bishops are expected to boycott the conference and attend a rival meeting for conservative Anglicans in Jerusalem, called the Global Anglican Future Conference.

Setting the tone for the meetings that begin next week, the conservatives released a strongly worded theological manifesto on Thursday, declaring that they see no possibility for reconciliation with the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada, which have accepted a gay bishop and same-sex unions.

The conservatives say that after years of emergency meetings and ultimatums, they have been “ignored,” “demonized” and “marginalized.” “There is no longer any hope, therefore, for a unified Communion,” the manifesto said....

***

The conservatives say that their conference in Jerusalem, which runs from June 22 to June 29, is expected to draw about 280 bishops and 720 clergy and laypeople, including spouses. There will be bishops from Africa, England, Australia and some countries of Asia and Latin America. Eight American bishops from the Episcopal Church who are unhappy with their church’s direction will attend, said the Rev. Peter Frank, director of communications for the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and a spokesman for the Jerusalem conference....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/world/20anglican.html

[fascisthunter]

1. "conservatives".... whatever the hell that means

How about bigoted and let's leave it at that. I wish these assholes would stop hiding behind that label.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Good point. nt

[JerseygirlCT]

4. Me too. Especially since their "theology" is anything but

conservative or "orthodox" (that's their other favorite term). It's mostly a weird synergy of totalitarianism and a relatively new strain of Calvinist Protestantism without much history - and certainly without much Anglican history!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Yes, the Anglican church has always allowed a great deal of variety in

its worship and practice, the only common denominators being the Book of Common Prayer (with variants for each country) and a bishop-based hierarchy.

The dissidents have sawed off one leg of our "three-legged stool" (Scripture, tradition, and reason) and have thickened the two remaining legs by concentrating on half a dozen Bible verses and an attitude of "we never did it that way before."

[knitter4democracy]

3. Some are talking about coming into our church. Ugh.

They like the Eastern Orthodox liturgy and how we haven't changed anything in over a thousand years, but I can't stand the idea of them coming in and then being a whole voting block, as it were. We don't need more bigots, thanks. It's bad enough that many of the evangelicals that came in during the 80s and 90s are trying to swing us to the right and change our stance on abortion (the church has always maintained that mercy is important and that the decision is up to the woman and her spiritual father or mother who then gets permission from the bishop--and doesn't put her in front of the church court like for other things).

[JerseygirlCT]

5. Yeah, but you don't have girl cooties on the altar.

Or, supposedly, those equally awful gay cooties.

That's all they're interested in. They want someplace with lots and lots of rules. And no girl or gay cooties.

When they look at the RCC or the Orthodox churches, they believe they can then pat themselves on the back for being so superior and "right". Weird bunch. I do hope they don't invade your church for your sake!

[knitter4democracy]

6. Except from the woman who cleaned it.

;)

We have lots and lots of rules, but we don't actually enforce them all that much. We're way more laid back than all of our rules would suggest. I hope that steers them away, actually. Gay priests are actually (quietly) allowed in our church and backed up by their bishops. If that bothers them, then I'd hope they'd run in another direction.