More Americans made African bishops

US priests getting ordained in Kenya say American church has lost its way
By KATHARINE HOURELD
Associated Press
Aug 30, 2007

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Two American priests were consecrated Thursday as Anglican bishops in Kenya, the latest in a string of conservative priests who are defecting to African churches in a dispute over homosexuality.

Bill Atwood of Texas and William Murdoch of Massachusetts left the Episcopal Church - the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion - because it allows the ordination of gay priests.

"The gospel ... must take precedence over culture," said Archbishop Drexel Gomez of the West Indies, one of 10 Anglican leaders or representatives who attended the ceremony in Nairobi's All Saints Cathedral. "Homosexual practice violates the order of life given by God in Holy Scripture."

It’s all here ...

and Father Atwood has made this allegation many times:

"American males who are homosexually active have a life span that is three decades shorter than the norm," Atwood said Wednesday. "How can a church say, 'You are precious, we care about you, we love you, we want the best for you and now we want to bless behaviors that cause you to die three decades early'?"

It seems to come from Paul Cameron's pamphlet, Medical Consequences of What Homosexuals Do, here. A point-by-point response to Cameron starts here. CAUTION: You really don't want to leave either of these articles in the shared office printer for very long. A very interesting article on how to read surveys and statistics is also here.

Comments

[Christine]

I became Episcopalian because it is a progressive church that welcomes those on the fringes. I was divorced and remarried and not welcome in other denominations. In the past this would have been a problem in the Episcopal Church, but my church is always moving forward. I am allowed to worship with everyone else. Just as we ordained women before the rest of the world was ready for it, they'll all catch up with us in icluding EVERYONE in worship and in vocation.

[Lisa Fox]

The gospel ... must take precedence over culture," said Archbishop Drexel Gomez of the West Indies . . . .

I do not understand how the archbishop fails to understand the irony of his statement. In the West Indies and Kenya, gay men and lesbians are stigmatized by the prevailing culture and the law. And anti-gay attitudes dominate U.S. politics, too. So just exactly who is caving-in to the prevailing culture? Clearly, it's these bishops. By contrast, the Episcopal Church is standing up for the Gospel despite the prevailing culture.

Archbishop Gomez and his allies can (and will) repeat this lie as often as they wish. That still won't make it true.