Anglican head Williams says anti-gays misread Bible

[Dee]

Tue Apr 17, 2007

PARIS (Reuters) - The spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans has said conservative Christians who cite the Bible to condemn homosexuality are misreading a key passage written by Saint Paul almost 2,000 years ago.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, addressing theology students in Toronto, said an oft-quoted passage in Paul's Epistle to the Romans meant to warn Christians not to be self-righteous when they see others fall into sin.

His comments were an unusually open rebuff to conservative bishops, many of them from Africa, who have been citing the Bible to demand that pro-gay Anglican majorities in the United States and Canada be reined in or forced out of the Communion.

"Many current ways of reading miss the actual direction of the passage," Williams said on Monday, according to a text of his speech posted on the Anglican Church of Canada's Web site.

"Paul is making a primary point not about homosexuality but about the delusions of the supposedly law-abiding."

(more (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/international_anglicans_homosexuality_dc))

Well, it's a start.

[Eva]

Well, it's a start.
I don't know. I don't see that I am doing anything wrong by being who I am.

Eva

[Darlene]

Thats our Dee! :) Finding all kinds of great information for us.
Peace, Darlene

[david uk]

I do think Archbishop Williams is to be applauded. He faces the very difficult job of modernising a worldwide church's approach to homosexuality, which is by no means easy I would think.

He is navigating difficult waters (ooh, did I just write that? it's rather poetic lol) and I do think he is against anti-gay descrimination, but is trying to find a way of taking the whole church with him.

I am saying this as a non Church member tho.

[Dee]

I do think Archbishop Williams is to be applauded.

Well he certainly gets my applause, David. A staning ovation even.

I am really weary of these evangelical conservative Christians who in all honesty don't seem to have actually read the New Testament, have misunderstood its content, or who outright pick and choose passages to back their bigotry. They have nothing to do with the wisdom Jesus of Nazareth tried to impart. To me they are not Christian (followers of Christ’s examples) in their words and actions and therefore not Christian at all as far as I’m concerned.

So good on Archbishop Williams for having the courage to speak up. It’s about time!

[aabram]

And I don't see any way of Archbishop Williams achieving his goal given the current attitude towards homosexuality. There are notices on the Edinburgh buses telling us not to be biased, but exactly who notices them? I did, but who else will????? :eek:

[DaveM]

To my knowledge, Jesus made no remarks about sexuality of any sort, save for some comments on "adultery". He did, however, stop the execution of a woman who was about to be stoned for that "offense".

Fundamentalists have a strong tendency to quote Paul, who never met Jesus. Paul seems to have been a rather angry fellow who really wasn't "tolerant" of anybody (he certainly didn't think much of women). He also came from Tarsus, the seat of a religion called Mithraism. His view of Jesus appears deeply influenced by the then-popular concept of Mithra. Mithra walked on water, was portrayed as a shepherd, was crucified between two thieves, and rose from the dead three days after death, among other things.

Paul is also responsible for virtually every "angry God" passage in the New Testament. As such, he's decidedly out of step with the authors of the Gospels and the remainder of the book.

[Bat]

Right on, DaveM...I always thought Paul was a very angry man, and that John was a bigot. My opinion.
The reference to Mithraism was very interesting, and here's the link to an informative article in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism

There's nothing new under the sun.

[DaveM]

Bat--there's a very good book out there for those who seek ammunition against those who use religion as a mask for bigotry: "The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You To Read". Basically a pocket reference for Other Points Of View--highly recommended.

[Darlene]

I read from Paul's writings the fourth Sunday at Church, well I used to. Trust me it is sometimes hard to swallow and read what Paul has to say. I have always said that Paul was the first male chauvinist pig. ;) Don't tell anyone but Catholics don't really read much Bible they just listen to what they are told. So if I didn't really like a word or a phase I would change it and no one ever knew. :rolleyes: Oh boy, do I need to go to confession! :eek: Not! Laugh! :D
Peace, Darlene

[Dee]

Paul was a cranky old poop.

There is also this book that I read:

Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780060675189&itm=4)
(A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture)
by John Shelby Spong

"Now in paperback, the provocative national bestseller that issues a daring call for contemporary understanding of scripture. Outspoken and controversial, Bishop Spong brilliantly reclaims the Bible from the narrow-minded literalism that has been used to justify slavery, ban textbooks, deny the rights of gays and lesbians, subordinate women, and justify war and revenge."

[david uk]

Paul was a cranky old poop.



you have a great way with words, Dee :p