They did so knowing that this could create a situation where they were removed from the Anglican Communion:
The bishops have a “deep longing” to remain part of the Communion, they said, but they are unwilling to compromise the Episcopal Church’s autonomy and its commitment to full equality for all people, including gay men and lesbians.
In a strongly worded statement issued Tuesday night, the bishops said the Communion’s attempt to impose a parallel authority structure “violates our founding principles as the Episcopal Church following our own liberation from colonialism.” The bishops inserted a gentle reminder that the Episcopal Church long ago declared itself independent from the Church of England.
“We cannot accept what would be injurious to this church and could well lead to its permanent division,” the bishops said in their statement, a set of three resolutions addressed to the church’s executive council.
No word yet on what will be the final result of this or what the response from the Archbishop of Canterbury or some of the conservative parishes will be.
4 comments:
I am sure the anti-Christian community is enjoying the brewhaha; I am pleased that the Anglican Church has kept their hardline stance, and I expect for them to do so. The Anglican Church may take a bunch of flak from the liberal Christian communities in America, but they are doing the right thing so far. Being a member of the very conservative Lutheran Church-Missour Synod, I appreciate and agree with their attitude that communion with another church body is a priveledge, not a right.
Josh, I'm Catholic so I'm not posting about this from an anti-Christian aspect but more from the point of to me this demonstrates both groups have the courage of their convictions. I respect their right to determine how they want their parishes to be with or without the communion.
Perhaps some that are anti-Christian will try to make this an issue but the reality for me is based deeply on religion and what each particular group believes is right.
I didn't think you had posted the article from an anti-Christian stance. If I had my comment would not have been so general (but it would still have been civil).
Still, I appreciate the clarification and your posting of the news :-)
Thanks, I just wanted to clarify so you'd know where I was coming from. Yet I think you and I would still be civil even if we disagreed.
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