Further Update
The archbishop’s own website now also carries a transcript of the TV programme as transmitted.
Update
Ruth Gledhill’s blog now carries the full transcript of this interview. Read Archbishop’s interview with Sir David Frost. This is the full, unedited version.
Telegraph coverage of yesterday’s television interview is comprehensive:
Archbishop warns gay issue may ‘rupture’ Church and Williams: Cuba camp is setting a dangerous precedent America both by Jonathan Petre and
Missed chance to speak out on Darfur’s bloody conflict speaks volumes by David Blair, Africa Correspondent
Guardian Stephen Bates Archbishop warns of split over gay bishops
The Times Ruth Gledhill Archbishop attacks Guantanamo
Ekklesia Archbishop of Canterbury condemns Guantanamo Bay camp includes useful back links to earlier Christian protests about this.
It comes to something when the Church is more concerned about a theological split over interpretation of Scripture, than a human tragedy of the scale of Dafur. Shame on us all. Can’t we, for God’s sake, look up from our internal squabbles and start working for the Kingdom?
David Frost’s interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury is deeply disturbing. Not only the fact that he did not mention the terrible genocide taking place in Darfur, but his complete inability to see that more is involved in the Anglican Communion dispute over the place of gay and lesbian people in the church than simply the threat of schism, show that the Archbishop is becoming morally blind. The church in Nigeria is presently involved in supporting a bill that will disenfranchise all gay and lesbian people in that country, as well as their supporters, and the Archbishop talks about the… Read more »
You liberals are just something else. You are masters of distraction. Sorry Peter and Eric, that you can, with a straight face, minimise the danger of an ugly rupture, simply beats my imagination. Dafur is a true human trajedy of horrific proportions. But no less horrible is the moral decadence that the liberals have embraced that now threatens to bring down the house. There are many tragic situations in the world. The Archbishop doesn’t have to mention all of them in just one interview. Concern for a tragic rupture should be enough worry for leader worth his salt
Ralph, are you saying that genocide and issues with human sexuality are equal? Frankly, I dont care who sleeps with who, but I do care when a nation is being wiped off the map…. maybe thats just because Im a bleeding heart liberal.
I listened to the interview (streamed on my computer) and found several things difficult. Some of this is highlighted by Ruth Gledhill’s comments preceding the transcript. I didn’t find ++Rowan ambivalent or equivocal about his faith. I did recognize the academic and theologian. That is, I was clear that he spoke of faith in all its depth, without any expectation of independent, verifiable confirmation. It takes a great deal more courage, really, to believe without that. In contrast look at all those who want to somehow make scientific creation science or Intelligent Design. He has the courage to live in… Read more »
Only liberals are threatening to bring down the house? I thought one thing that was becoming clear is that many liberals are committed to dialogue, tolerance and diversity. However, there seems to be an extreme element that would prefer to bring down the house (actually pack their house in a little bag and take it elsewhere), unless their and only their point of view is adopted. One of the main reasons I became an Anglican is its history of diversity and being able to understand (even if they don’t agree) the “other’s” point of view. To have one group demand… Read more »
Isaac, think of the POWER of human sexuality. The ugly consequences its abuse and misuse has brought humanity. Think of the diseases that has invaded and continues to invade humans beings because of the misuse sex. Think of the innocent lives that have been destroyed because of the abuse of sex. Think of the sea of broken hearts, the damaged homes, all because of the misuse of sex. But think also of its power to give life, to build family, to ensure the continuity of life on earth. Genocide (as horrific as it is) doesn’t happen everyday, but the ugly… Read more »
Eric
I think you miss the scale of the human tragedy of Dafur. It is a quantum leap away from schism, which will damage the church I love, but not bring it down. Our Lord was not at all fussed about keeping the Temple Worship just the way it was, rather he cared about people, suffering and injustice. So should we, and Archbishop has failed to speak on this.
Ralph We are not ignoring the issue over the misuse of sex. I, for one, am trying to encourage ALL adult human beings who desire sexual relations to enter into lifelong monogamous relationships. There are some people e.g. apostle Paul who do not seem to need sex, but the rest of us struggle on as best we can. I think there is a bigger issue than the misuse of sex, and that is the misuse of power. Especially power within sexual relationships and those who seek to exercise power over sexual relationships. To be honest, some of the homophobic elements’… Read more »
[God bless the suffering people of Darfur] “think of the POWER of human sexuality. The ugly consequences its abuse and misuse has brought humanity. Think of the diseases that has invaded and continues to invade humans beings because of the misuse sex. Think of the innocent lives that have been destroyed because of the abuse of sex. Think of the sea of broken hearts, the damaged homes, all because of the misuse of sex.” It *is* truly tragic, Ralph—and it happens as consequence of *human sin*: without respect to sexual orientation. “But think also of its power to give life,… Read more »
Possibly too late to make a contribution on this theme. However, start with Peter. I don’t think you understood me, Peter. The scale of human tragedy in Darfur I think I dimly understand. That the ABC didn’t mention it when he was in Somalia is a cause for deep concern. But, Ralph. Oh dear! What can I say? If you must dismiss me as a liberal — I’ll accept the title — do at last credit me with a little moral sense. I’ve been involved in conversations on sexuality for over two decades, during which the inability of people to… Read more »
Eric I’ve enjoyed your last few postings. I was listening to Australia’s ABC radio yesterday and there has been a book recently published by the University of Melbourne called “The New Puritans”. The author was commenting on the radio about the global Anglican Communion. One of her comments is that there is an issue that there is still yet to be formed a robust alternative voice within the communion to the “new puritans”, but that Rowan Williams is the closest thing so far. Personally, I don’t think its Rowan’s place to develop theology for the whole communion. However, I don’t… Read more »
I don’t see what the horrible slaughters in Dafur, and state oppression of Christians in Somalia, has to do with the problems caused by ECUSA’s gay-sex agenda ? What does worry me, however, is the running battle that seems to be building at the moment: The ABofC warns of the rupture coming due to ECUSA’s actions, and the chair of the ACC promptly “apologises” to ECUSA for the ACC’s decision to temporarily suspend it over the same issue. (On whose authority one might ask!) The CofE’s GS decides to look at a more concessionary arrangement for Anglicans who cannot accept… Read more »
Ralph: “the ugly consequences of the misuse and abuse of human sexuality claims lives in their millions everyday” This is a farcical exaggeration. It is an untruth. “the moral decadence that the liberals have embraced that now threatens to bring down the house” The ‘moral decadence’ and ‘human sexuality’ in question here, and in the interview, is the practice of HOMOSEXUALITY – generally, by Christians, and by clergy. So, in a discussion around this particular issue, you choose to apply your bizarrely exaggerated figure of millions of lives a day being lost due to ‘misuse of sexuality’. You are publically… Read more »
‘It comes to something when the Church is more concerned about a theological split over interpretation of Scripture, than a human tragedy of the scale of Dafur. Shame on us all. Can’t we, for God’s sake, look up from our internal squabbles and start working for the Kingdom?’
It seems not.
Darfur? Is that something to do with sex? No? Is it somewhere in Palestine, then? No? Sorry, not interested. Shame on us all indeed.
Dear Cyrus, we shoud be concerned about many issues, not just the horrors in Dafur, destruction of Iraq and the authority of Scripture for faith and morality (a.k.a. the conflict over sexual morality). What about attacks on Christians in Pakistan and Indonesia; the inter-nicine fighting in Iraq; starvation in northern Kenya; Aids and STD pandemics in much of the world; marital breakdown in the West leading to struggling lone parents, associated depression and educational underachievement; the increase in anti-semitism, increasing autocrasy in Russia; re-armament in China etc etc ? We can work on together on issues we agree on, without… Read more »
Ralph: I just stopped back by after a long hiatus to check into what was going on at TA. I’m not surprised to find that all of the conservatives seem to have disappeared. From what I can tell there is a certain “lifespan” and then traditionalists realize there are better (and certainly more productive) things to do in life. While we come and go, the politically correct contingent (i.e., the JCs, Merseymikes, etc.) keep right on going, apparently finding the overall ambiance here to their liking. So, good luck with your endeavors, but don’t be surprised if at some point… Read more »