More Parishes Flee Episcopal Church Over Gay Bishop

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/11/111005episcopal.htm

Four northeast Ohio congregations upset over the consecration of an openly gay bishop have split from Episcopal Church USA and have affiliated with a diocese in South America.

St. Luke's in Fairlawn, Holy Spirit in Akron, St. Barnabas in Bay Village and St. Anne's in the Fields of Madison voted Sunday to break with the Episcopal Church USA and affiliate with the Diocese of Bolivia led by Bishop Frank Lyon.

The church has been rocked for consecrating Bishop V. Gene Robinson. In 2003 the Episcopal General Convention confirmed his election as bishop of New Hampshire.

[funflower]

1. We'll see more of this in all of "mainline" denominations.

Not sure what to do about it. People just need time to come around, I think.

[Bob3]

2. Run for your life it's the gay Bishop!

I'm speechless - there are so many other things going on and going wrong everywhere and this what people are getting their knickers in a twist about? Death and corruption - no problem. One Gay Bishop and all hell breaks loose.

Silly, bitter, narrow people. If they didn't do so much damage to other people I'd feel sorry for them.

[joeybee12]

3. I'll never understand this--sure, homphobia is engrained in our society,

but I just don't get why some people are so wound up over it. Being gay obviously influences my comments, but still...come on, aren't there more important things to worry about?

[Gildor Inglorion]

4. Irrational hatred by its very nature is inexplicable....

[joeybee12]

5. Yeah, and coming from these so-called religious people is even

more inexplicable!

[kevinbgoode]

6. I see...they are unpatriotic traitors

affiliating with some foreign church in one of those countries where military juntas compete with periodically elected governments. I hope Bolivia sucks their financial resources dry. . .hehehe.

[freestyle]

7. The schism has already happened, and I am fine with it.

I am a lifelong Episcopalian, and I am also gay. If there are parishes so filled with dogmatism and loathing that they don't even want to associate with ECUSA anymore, I say good riddance. We have been moving towards full inclusion of GLBT people for over 30 years, and we are not turning back. If you wish to claim that GLBT people are somehow not full members of the body of Christ, then I welcome your departure.

One more thing. Episcopal churches have signs that say "the Episcopal church welcomes you." There are no qualifiers on that sign. If a parish wants to claim that some people are unwelcome, then it is good that they are leaving. Hopefully they will take the sign down. Lying is bad.

[xchrom]

8. it was going to happen anyway -- over women priests.

the gay bishop thing is a ruse.

conservative churches in africa and south america as well as america and england{few though they are} wanted nothing to do with women priests -- so same sex marriage, gay ordination, gay bishop, etc is a ruse for an action they've wanted to take for a long time.

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. A great big bunch of hypocrites

They refuse to acknowledge their diocesan bishops because "homosexuality is counter to the traditions and values of the Anglican Communion and the Christian faith."

Refusing to submit to the wisdom and guidance of their bishops is far more a violation to the traditions and values of the Anglican Communion and the Christian faith.