Gene Robinson heckled

[afleitch]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7504472.stm

Openly gay US bishop Gene Robinson was forced to halt a sermon at a west London church after being heckled.

As Bishop Robinson began his sermon a member of the congregation repeatedly called him a "heretic" and said "repent, repent, repent".

He began his sermon by saying how sad it was that the Anglican Communion was tearing itself apart.

But he was stopped when the man in the congregation shouted that the schism was the bishop's fault.

The man's protest was followed by slow hand-clapping by members of the congregation, and Bishop Robinson halted his sermon while a hymn was sung and the protester was escorted from the church in Putney, south west London.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Disgusting.

[JSojourner]

Speaking as an Episcopalian (the American manifestation of Anglicanism), I remain amazed at our Communion's fetish for "majoring on minors" while "minoring on majors".

We have a small number of bishops and theologians who believe the crucifixion of Jesus was nothing more than a senseless, political murder.  And that the resurrection of Jesus was a fable concocted by his followers. Yet these same bishops, priests and theologians confess on a weekly, if not daily basis, that they do -- in fact -- believe that...

For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;

...Now, I ask you....would not the Episcopal Church and wider Anglican Communion be better served to defrock clergy and de-credential (if that is a word) theologians who essentially LIE when they say the Nicene Creed?  I mean, as opposed to arguing over whether Gene Robinson -- who has written at length about his firm belief in the crucified, risen Christ -- should be allowed to celebrate mass?

I mean seriously -- Jack Spong and Dominic Crossan are okay because they've never had sex with a man.  Never mind that they write and teach that absolutely nothing was accomplished on the cross and that the resurrection is a complete myth. 

I am glad the Anglican Communion welcomes diversity, questions and eschews most forms of absolutism.  As a wise priest once said to me, "The antithesis of faith is not doubt, it is certainty."  To which I can only add, "I don't believe there are many absolutes.  But there are a few.  If there are not, then anarchy itself is our lone absoute."

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I wish the guy had been a little more original in his heckling. "Heretic" and "Repent" are so 16th Century.

[JSojourner]

I wish the guy had been a little more original in his heckling. "Heretic" and "Repent" are so 16th Century.

Throw another "f****t" on the fire might have been on their minds.  And they did NOT mean a bundle of twigs.

[afleitch]

What I found surprising (and no, not the fact this long haired oaf drove off in his motorcycle) is when he started saying 'I follow the gospel, you don't' etc

I follow

Me...me, me, me, me

It's an odd mentality that seems to permeate throughout some brands of Christianity; the emphasis on the personal experience. Viewing others and indeed judging others from your own viewpoint, posturing and thinking you've 'got it sussed' or you're speaking for God. When you filter everything through your own experiences you can become extraordinarily distant from the reality. A bit of humility would not go amiss. Or seeing people like Robinson not as 'heretics' but as one of your community who you may not understand but is still part of the community who you should seek to understand first and judge last.

[JSojourner]

What I found surprising (and no, not the fact this long haired oaf drove off in his motorcycle) is when he started saying 'I follow the gospel, you don't' etc

I follow

Me...me, me, me, me

It's an odd mentality that seems to permeate throughout some brands of Christianity; the emphasis on the personal experience. Viewing others and indeed judging others from your own viewpoint, posturing and thinking you've 'got it sussed' or you're speaking for God. When you filter everything through your own experiences you can become extraordinarily distant from the reality. A bit of humility would not go amiss. Or seeing people like Robinson not as 'heretics' but as one of your community who you may not understand but is still part of the community who you should seek to understand first and judge last.

Meism is the unofficial gospel of the McChurch movement.

[J. J.]

Frankly, if confronted with a cleric that is gay and one that believes in God, I'll choose the latter.

I think I'm agreeing with JSojourner.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

Frankly, if confronted with a cleric that is gay and one that believes in God, I'll choose the latter.

Erm...what? I'm fairly sure Robinson is religious.

[J. J.]

Frankly, if confronted with a cleric that is gay and one that believes in God, I'll choose the latter.

Erm...what? I'm fairly sure Robinson is religious.

Robinson is, other nice straight bishops are not.

[JSojourner]

Frankly, if confronted with a cleric that is gay and one that believes in God, I'll choose the latter.

Erm...what? I'm fairly sure Robinson is religious.

Robinson is, other nice straight bishops are not.

Bishop Spong may well be very religious.  But his masquerade as an Episcopalian is unsettling, to say the least.  Spong's theology (as well as that of John Dominic Crossan and possibly Marcus Borg) is as easy fit with Unitarian-Universalism.  I do not disparage my UU friends.  I hold them in very high regard.  But they are not, by their own testimony, specifically and exclusively Christian. So Spong -- who rejects every major doctrine of the Nicene Creed -- essentially rejects Christianity.

Why he remains Episcopalian is a mystery to me.  But perhaps the answer rests with Zell Miller.  Why does Miller insist on remaining a Democrat?  When, by his own admission, he doesn't agree with that party on a single thing?  Why does he not become a Republican?  it's a perfectly honorable thing to be.

Because he wouldn't get any attention.  Likewise, Spong would be just one more Unitarian if he joined a church he agreed with.  But staying in the Anglican Communion, and routinely writing and teaching that we are out of touch because we believe in the resurrection, he sells more books.

[J. J.]

I'm basically agreeing with JSojourner on this.  I think that there are vastly more important things than sexual preference.