Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wright on what's wrong with TEC's decision

Read here.

I like +Tom Wright's ending:

"Contrary to some who have recently adopted the phrase, there is already a “fellowship of confessing Anglicans”. It is called the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church is now distancing itself from that fellowship. Ways must be found for all in America who want to be loyal to it, and to scripture, tradition and Jesus, to have that loyalty recognised and affirmed at the highest level."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you actually reading any of the statements, and following the discussions, and the question times – or are you just picking up the press reports and blog reactions?

Do you take everything out of context? Why not quote Tom Wright’s part of his same article where he makes the astonishing statement “But Jewish, Christian and Muslim teachers have always insisted that lifelong man-plus-woman marriage is the proper context for sexual intercourse.” Do you accept the polygamy in Islam, or in the Old Testament? Oh yes, I keep forgetting, in your province Barth type relationships are acceptable and you yourself choose a don’t ask won’t tell approach, serial polygamy is also acceptable – one of your clergy married someone for the seventh time – can’t find any critique of that or of your province’s divorce policy on your blog. Must be an issue with my search engine?

What about the strong predictions that the HOB would block D025? What a surprise at the overwhelming support. In all orders. Might it just be possible, just be possible, that D025 is not what you paint it to be? Maybe? Might it just be possible that it stands alongside BO33 which has NOT been rescinded, and as the Presiding Bishop says, D025 does not nullify B033? Might it just be possible that D025 is a compromise type motion – in fact very Anglican? You were not happy with B033 stating prior to this that it did not satisfy the communion’s requirements. But NOW SUDDENLY you write that with B033 “TEC had committed itself, over the past three years, to a moratorium.” You are making B033 whatever is convenient for your case and now will make D025 whatever you wish it to be for your case. But the middle ground will hold.

http://www.sevenwholedays.org/2009/07/14/when-tom-wright-gets-it-totally-wrong/
http://www.entangledstates.org/2009/07/d025-the-blogsphere-and-the-house-of-bishops.html
http://www.ayiailuvatar.org/2009/07/the-buzz-in-the-episcopal-church-today-is-what-heppened-in-the-house-of-deputies-yesterday-the-answer-depends-on-who-you.html

Peter Carrell said...

Hi Anonymous
I particularly like Tom Wright's quote which I cited because it made a nifty jab against FCA. Are you objecting to that jab?

Quoting out of context? I said that I liked the quote. I did not say it was representative of the whole, or that I agreed with everything Tom Wright said!

It's news to me that one of our clergy has married someone for the seventh time. Am I expected to criticise that which I know nothing about? As for the remarriage of divorced clergy in general terms, I have often drawn attention to this acceptance as undermining of a conservative critique of a liberal approach to homosexuality.

I am not sure who predicted that the HOB would block D025. People such as myself noted that, because they might block it, one should not presume that it would pass.

No, I do not think that D025 is not what I paint it. There is too much satisfaction around on the part of those who wish B033 to disappear. Nor do I think D025 is a compromise motion, but I do think it has been carefully crafted. As a matter of fact I do think that TEC, more in a spirit of willingness to be in moratorium, than because B033 was strong enough to enforce one, has observed a moratorium for the past three years.

The middle ground will hold? Well I think that will need to be seen to be true. It may well be true. But are you saying that there will be no more gay or lesbian bishops? Good on you if you are. I think I shall be less surprised than you are, in that case, when the next one is consecrated.

Anonymous said...

Peter, Wright's 'jab' on FCA was as graceless and unbecoming as his hatchet job on 'Pierced for Our Transgressions' that Tim Harris averted to on the 'Fulcrum' forum.
Wright was the great booster of Windsor and the loud opponent of those he derided as 'superapostles' who said it wouldn't work. The only result of his words was to alienate further the conservative evangelicals in England.
Anon1

Peter Carrell said...

Hi Anon1
+Wright's jab has a certain gracelessness, and it will not help relationships between him and conservative evangelicals.
Nevertheless it makes a point which, perhaps, the FCA has itself been a little ungracious about: the Anglican Communion stands for something rather than nothing, there is doctrine which we confess together, ... even TEC (looking at some of its resolutions at this GC) still confesses its faith with creeds in liturgies).