General Synod – Archbishop of Canterbury's presidential address
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave his presidential address to General Synod this afternoon. A press release is online, followed by the text of the speech.
Archbishop’s Presidential Address
In addition there is Word document of the speech linked from here.
The Archbishop delivering his address.
This sentence from the ABC’s address got me thinking: “The freedom claimed, for example, by the Episcopal Church to ordain a partnered homosexual bishop is, simply as a matter of fact, something that has a devastating impact on the freedom of, say, the Malaysian Christian to proclaim the faith without being cast as an enemy of public morality and risking both credibility and personal safety” What happens when the right thing to do has a potentially negative impact on fellow Christians around the world? By “negative” I don’t mean a whining “Oh, they’re letting in the gays. How dare they… Read more »
Are we lesbian & gay members and ministers alone in not threatening to wreck or leave if / when –it’s usually when in our case — when we don’t get anything remotley like what our consciences indicate ?
An impressive and valuable address by ++Rowan. In particular his reminder that we must look at each other in our full human dimension, rather than demonise or reduce one another to a one-dimensional caricature, is very timely. However, there are one or two points on which I think he needs to be challenged. Firstly, his argument that we should not take actions that reduce the freedoms of others, even if by doing so we create a freedom for some who do not at present have it. The trouble with that view is that we will never take any action or… Read more »
On a quick first response, and from a TEC-centered point of view, I found this address very discouraging indeed.
“Nevertheless, what is the moral Christian response when doing the right thing can have such an impact whether directly or indirectly?”
Well I’m certain of the consequences of saying and preaching the wrong thing about the LGBT community. Victims get victimized, beaten and sometimes killed, not to mention legislation aimed at ethnic cleansing.
If I’m going to worry about somebody taking a hit for miss-interpreting my actions thousands of miles from home, I might as well just stay at home in this snowstorm and do nothing except play stupid videos on You Tube.
Charlotte, having heard the ABC’s address to the General Synod of the Church of England, I feel that what he had to say was, in the context of the Church of England, perfectly reasonable. As you have said here, it may not have been the perfect speech from TEC’s point of view, but then, that was not the angle from which he was looking when discussing the problems facing the Church of England at the present time. What must be remembered is that, at General Synod the Archbishop of Canterbury is not speaking as ‘Primus inter pares’ but as the… Read more »
Once again I am thinking about the USA Civil War – one of the arguments against abolition of slavery was that to free the slaves abrogated freedom of ownership and the principle of private property. These may seem fallacious arguments to us especially in the face of slavery, but they were held in serious and honest concern even by those who personally abhored slavery, like Lincoln himself. ‘Freedoms’ are not all equal, as even the Bible assures us. ‘Go down Moses and set my people free’ can’t become ‘Hold on Pharaoh, keep my property safe’.
“The freedom claimed, for example, by the Episcopal Church to ordain a partnered homosexual bishop is, simply as a matter of fact, something that has a devastating impact on the freedom of, say, the Malaysian Christian to proclaim the faith without being cast as an enemy of public morality and risking both credibility and personal safety” Let’s see. “If we pursue civil rights for Blacks in America, it may have a simply devasting effect on the freedom of upholders of apartheid in South Africa to proclaim their beliefs that Blacks and Coloreds are inferior human beings.” Hmmm. Has anyone polled… Read more »
“Nevertheless, what is the moral Christian response when doing the right thing can have such an impact whether directly or indirectly?”
I think we miss the mark when we focus on ourselves alone in these matters. This is a profound question and one that can only be approached with prayer. Perhaps there is no answer, but we do bear a responsibility to consider every member of the community of Christ.
I would find it difficult to take this address seriously or Mrs. Ashworth’s motion seriously when there is no concern for the devout Anglicans whose very lives are threatened by their bishops in Uganda if this were not happening in the Church of England. Another instance of the CofE being on the wrong side of history. Well done!
“The freedom claimed, for example, by the Episcopal Church to ordain a partnered homosexual bishop is, simply as a matter of fact, something that has a devastating impact on the freedom of, say, the Malaysian Christian to proclaim the faith without being cast as an enemy of public morality and risking both credibility and personal safety”
Which completely ignores the fact that much of this anti gay frothing is a carefully orchestrated and financed campaign from American fundagelicals.
“”The freedom claimed, for example, by the Episcopal Church to ordain a partnered homosexual bishop is, simply as a matter of fact, something that has a devastating impact on the freedom of, say, the Malaysian Christian to proclaim the faith without being cast as an enemy of public morality and risking both credibility and personal safety” – Archbishop Rowan Williams – This stastement might lead us to think about the viability of what theologians call ‘Contextual Theology’. This would help us to take into account the diverse social and cultural milieu into which the Gospel is being ministered. Saint Paul,… Read more »
“Nevertheless, what is the moral Christian response when doing the right thing can have such an impact whether directly or indirectly?”
I think we miss the mark when we focus on ourselves alone in these matters. This is a profound question and one that can only be approached with prayer. Perhaps there is no answer, but we do bear a responsibility to consider every member of the community of Christ.