Tuesday, November 23, 2010

My question for Cantuar

From +Rowan's address to the CofE General Synod today:
"To say yes to the Covenant is not to tie our hands. But it is to recognise that we have the option of tying our hands if we judge, after consultation, that the divisive effects of some step are too costly."
Too costly to whom, Sir?

To the voiceless LGBT baptized in Uganda still waiting for a word of hope from Canterbury while her church -- the Anglican Church -- supports legislation criminalizing her for trying to build a life with her partner?

To the LGBT youth whose internalized self-loathing resulting from his church's message that he is an abomination turns to self-destruction rather than be doomed to a life of loneliness, isolation and despair?

Or to all those yearning in these times of challenge for words of life and leadership from an increasingly irrelevant institutional church that will suspend a bishop on a dime for tweeting about an upcoming Royal Wedding but stands silent while LGBT people once again have their vocations and relationships sacrificed on the altar of global Anglican politics?

The "H" word in operation here isn't homosexuality. It's Honesty. And it's Hypocrisy. And it's a Horrific abdication of leadership when the Archbishop of Canterbury can dare to stand this day and make a statement so sweepingly dismissive of the pastoral needs of the LGBT baptized and crying needs of those LGBT people yearning to be evangelized.

Shame on you, +Rowan Williams. Shame on you.

14 comments:

Alex Altorfer said...

Cantuar?

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

Cantaur: Cantuariensis [of Canterbury] [Latin]

It's kind of a nickname. Too "inside baseball?"

MarkBrunson said...

Canterbury has failed Christianity in his attempt to take over anglicanism.

SCG said...

What Mark Brunson said. I know ++Rowan is spouting BS because his lips are moving.

Nicole Porter said...

Yes, it looks terrible for the Archbishop to not have taken a definite stand against murder of any persons. That type of judgment belongs to God. As far as the other bit of your commentary is concerned, the Lord gave us all guidelines to live by. Why homosexuals have to have their own set?

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

Same guidelines, Martin. Micah 6:8. Matthew 22:37-40.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Göran Koch-Swahne said...

Amen dear Sister!

Nicole Porter said...

Yes. And nothing in those passages says turn a blind eye to sin and not call sin what it is. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't bother telling you that I believe you and our Church is on the wrong track. That is love,Susan. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.

JCF said...

By that measure, Martin T, we would be in error not to tell YOU, "judge not, lest you be judged."

Worry about your OWN sins, and I, Queer Christian, will worry about mine [Yes, my sins are many (Lord, have mercy!). No, they're not the ones YOU think I have.]

MarkBrunson said...

Those who preach as you do, Martin, are accessories and inciters to murder.

Shed your crocodile tears, your soulless, inhuman "condolence" elsewhere. We know who your true father is.

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

Mark ... I'm going to let that last one stand but please re-read the "comments about comments" and steer away from the personal attacks.

And Martin ... the whole love-you-enough-to-speak-the-truth-in-love goes both ways. I'll be really sad if on the last day Jesus gives his "inasmuch" speech and you're left asking "when didn't I????" and St. Peter (or whoever is on duty that day") pulls up every blog comment you ever made condemning and demeaning LGBT folk. And then there's Matthew 7 ... the not everybody who says "Lord, Lord ..." part.

All I'm sayin' is just like we can pick and choose off the Thanksgiving table today we can pick and choose out of the Scriptures we inherit ... and in the process miss the whole point of the Scriptures we inherit.

So go. Eat. Drink. Be Merry. Give Thanks. And ... just for today ... leave the judgment to God. She can handle it.

marnanel said...

(I'm guessing that Alex Altorfer was pointing out that Cantuar is typoed as "Cantaur" in this post, rather than asking about the name.)

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

AH! Viva la Spellcheck ... which doesn't extend to the subject line!

Thanks for the follow up ... duly corrected!

MarkBrunson said...

How is it a personal attack to tell someone the harm they do and refuse to accept responsibility for?

Don't fall into the nothingness of relativism, Susan. These are not good people. They never will be. They will destroy you and all you love if you treat them as such. They'll destroy us, too. If you have no concern for yourself, then stand up for us and tell the truth about them and to them. And that truth is my holiday gift to you!