The Orthodox Church’s role Rsia’s anti-gay laws | Natnal Catholic Reporter

Contents:

• THE ANGLIN CHURCH’S ‘KICK THE GUTS’ TO GAY PARISHNERS
• DEAR GAY ANGLINS LETTER
• ALL 4 NY EPISPAL BISHOP NDIDAT WILL ALLOW GAY MARRIAGE IF ELECTED
• THE ORTHODOX CHURCH’S ROLE RSIA’S ANTI-GAY LAWS

THE ANGLIN CHURCH’S ‘KICK THE GUTS’ TO GAY PARISHNERS

On 7 June 2003 Gene Robson be the first openly gay bishop the Epispal church of the US; on 3 Augt 2022 Archbishop Jt Welby “affirms validy” of the 1998 Lambeth claratn that homosexual relatnships are patible wh scripture (Jt Welby ‘affirms validy’ of 1998 gay sex is s claratn, 2 Augt). Ian GordonFolktone, Kent The affirmatn that gay sex is a s will e much nsternatn, cludg among many Anglins who regnise the sufferg that this regrsive posn has flicted on gay people. William BartramHampton, Greater London I spect that a lot of people will share my disgt at the affirmatn that gay sex is a s.

Although Jt Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, recently affirmed the validy of a 1998 claratn that gay sex was a s, there are signs that the C of E may be movg towards allowg clergy to follow their nscience on the issue. Anglin church the US, Stland and Canada have already moved to start nductg same-sex weddgs, while the church Wal has started offerg blsgs to married gay upl.

Pl even scrib reemed people, who were once idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, and so forth, as spirually “chaste virgs” through the cleansg blood of Christ (2 Corthians 11:1-2). He wr, “…homosexualy has bee an inty, not jt a s… We, as the church, mt strive to treat those who stggle wh this s wh more re, and those the LGBT muny wh more Christlike love.

DEAR GAY ANGLINS LETTER

Among those who advote for the term gay Christian ( should be noted that there is diversy of theologil opn here), some argue that the word “gay” is a more ntemporary synonym for same-sex attracted.

Others pos that “gay” is ed as a scriptor rather than a fer. Gog eper, some employ a very nuanced argument that while gay lt is sful, gay attractn self need not be ltful but n reprent an athetic appreciatn of bety and a sire for chaste iendship. Many wh this muny g the term gay Christian argue that the phrase “same-sex attractn” is unknown among the larger LGBT muny and, therefore, lacks need missn engagement.

Conversely, those who employ the language of same-sex attractn are ncerned that g the adjective “gay” to modify the noun “Christian, ” “obscur the disorred nature of same-sex sire. They also argue that when someone the general culture intifi themselv as gay, there is an implic acceptance of same-sex behavr.

ALL 4 NY EPISPAL BISHOP NDIDAT WILL ALLOW GAY MARRIAGE IF ELECTED

They would suggt that most non-Christians would therefore assume that people who label themselv as gay Christians would rrpondgly accept same-sex sexual exprsn, cludg same-sex marriage.

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH’S ROLE RSIA’S ANTI-GAY LAWS

We pot out three problems we see biblilly and historilly wh g such signatns as “gay Christian, ” and, for that matter, “same-sex attracted believer. One, there is the nfn ed by lack of fn and mon unrstandg of signatns such as “gay Christian, ” and “same-sex attracted believer.

The addnal plitn wh the phras is that the LGBT muny at large do not distguish livg the liftyle of a gay person om someone only havg same-sex attractn.

Certa Christian groups seem to be the only on attemptg to nuance gay behavr om same-sex attractn. Dignatns such as “gay Christian, ” or “same-sex attracted Christian” are simply not what the spir of the New Ttament offers as a way of fg a Christian or his/her muny. We are not ultimately “gay Christians” or “same-sex attracted Christians;” we are Christians.