Thursday 31 July 2008

Learning From the Past?

The spectacle of the Anglican Communion tearing itself apart over homosexuality is depressing indeed. Whatever the issue is here, it is surely cultural rather than dogmatic. Homosexuality is barely even marginal to any form of Christian faith. It's spoken of in proscriptive terms in a few places in the Old Testament and (by way of Judaic carryover) in Paul, but Christ has nothing whatsoever to say on the subject, and it's surely safe to state that his teachings in general overwhelmingly favour loving inclusiveness. No mention of the issue in any of the professions of faith either, as far as I know. ..
But anyway, the up side is that this might yet be settled by something along the lines of the Elizabethan Settlement, a masterpiece of accommodation. It's good to see Anglicanism reaching back into its distinguished past - a past which is, to a large exent, the point of it - to find, perhaps, a solution. I hope it works.

1 comment:

  1. I really don't get homophobia either. This country right now is wrestling with gay marriage, adoption, etc., and I can't understand all this crap about "a man and a woman" constitutes a marriage. My neighbors and close friends are a gay couple and they have a better marriage than most heteros I see. And they are incredible members of our community.

    What is it that the homophobes are so afraid of? Marriage is a good thing, not a bad one. Religions should be encouraging it because marriage stabilizes society and forms the foundation of many families. And if the argument is that gay people don't produce children of the faith, that's wrong too. Gay couples *adopt* kids and do what many heteros are unwilling to -- raise someone else's biological child.

    ReplyDelete