In the previous post, I assumed wrongly that the voices of ex-gays were not heard in Lambeth. Actually, in the market place, and amongst all pro-gay activists, there is one prophetic voice as reported by VirtueOnLine.
Early this morning the BBC announced that today is THE day. Bishops will talk and reflect on human sexuality (that's why I called it the 's' day!) The agenda for today can be found here. Even more, later today a theater play will be performed on the stories of gay Christians.
Funny enough, Bishops have been listening to one side of the story. But Peter Ould made the point in a recent post: the voices of those Christians who once were gay and today are not gay anymore have not been heard! He clearly mentions Andy Comiskey (the founder of Desert Stream Ministries, now in Kansans), Mario Bergner, an Anglican priest from Redeemed Lives Ministries. There are other Anglicans like Martin Hallet the founder of True Freedom Trust who deserve to be heard, or that should have had more room and space in all this process. Probably they were heard before.
A good article on the Anglican Crisis can be found here.
It is difficult to follow all the moves and news from the Lambeth Conference. Our brethren in the Anglican Communion are struggling to choose either a bible based faith, with the pains and sorrows that it may imply, or to choose a more modern and open minded way of believing. I think that the latter is an avoidance of the 'sorrows' that we should expect in this world (John 16.33).
Archbishop Williams pronounced his Second Presidential Address to the Lambeth Conference 2008. Hereunder an extract of his speech:
What might the traditional believer hope others have heard? ‘What we seek to do in our context is faithfully to pass on what you passed on to us — Holy Scripture, apostolic ministry, sacramental discipline. But what are we to think when all these things seem to be questioned and even overturned? We want to be pastorally caring to all, to be “inclusive” as you like to say. We want to welcome everyone. Yet the gospel and the faith you passed on to us tell us that some kinds of behaviour and relationship are not blessed by GOD. Our love and our welcome are unreal if we don’t truthfully let others know what has shaped and directed our lives — so along with welcome, we must still challenge people to change their ways. We don’t see why welcoming the gay or lesbian person with love must mean blessing what they do in the Church’s name or accepting them for ordination whatever their lifestyle. We seek to love them — and, all right, we don’t always make a good job of it : but we can’t just say that there is nothing to challenge. Isn’t it like the dilemma of the early Church — welcoming soldiers, yet seeking to get them to lay down their arms?
UK banned the father and allowed mixing animal and human genetic material
I have been following via BBC (at home) and Anglican Mainstream (through internet) the current debate in the UK about the recent bills under consideration. I don't know where common sense has fled. Maybe Her Gracious Majesty can still veto the recent bills.
So, to start, Times Online reported that the new right of women is to have children without a father. The full article can be read here or here. It is one of the main social victories of single women and lesbian couples, or is it? The paradoxical part of this story, for those who have ever been involved in pastoral care, is the fact that many manifestations of inner brokenness are actually the consequence of dysfunctional families, and definitely due to the absence of the father figure. Shame! The worst part of this story is that nobody will tell these children about the Christian God that is a father for the fatherless ...
The other story had to do with the hybrid embryo research. The full story can be found here. Some of the advocates say that use of hybrid embryos could be good for finding cure to degenerative diseases such as Parkinson. Gordon Brown's own child is affected by a chronic degenerative disease. This bill also allows the "production" of "saviour siblings", or more clearly to make viable children to be used to save the life of the older sick sibling.
Finally, the legislators have also kept the 24 weeks term where abortions can be performed. Full story here. I want to quote MP Edward Leigh words:
In modern Britain the most dangerous place to be is in your mother's womb. It should be a place of sanctity
I wonder, have the common Brit ever seen a youtube video on abortion? The series on the Silent Scream are available here, here, here, here, and here. There are also videos on the results of abortion, see here. This testimony could help.
Other video about the abortion business in Spain (Warning: it's a shocking video!!!) ... Shame!
Is 57.1 The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
3 "But you—come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
4 Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; they, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In the light of these things, should I relent?
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices.
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked on their nakedness.
May God be merciful! Jesus is Lord! Marantha, come Lord Jesus with your restoring righteousness!
Well, I am a single Christian believer. I was born in Bolivia, and now living in the nicest Belgian town: Ghent, where am part of the VINEYARD GANDA Church. The majority of my time here is devoted to postdoctoral research in the field of consumer science and nutritional epidemiology.
