Episcopal bishop goes rogue to defend natural marriage
After the denomination approved homosexual "marriage"
and even approved a homosexual wedding rite, one Episcopal bishop still says
"no."
The Right
Reverend John C. Bauerschmidt, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee,
has written a pastoral letter explaining that there will be no gay
"marriage" under his watch.
"The
General Convention of the Episcopal Church authorized provisional rites for the
blessing of same sex relationships, which might be used for the blessing of
these relationships in churches under the direction and with the permission of
the local bishop," Rev. Bauerschmidt wrote. "I have not given
direction or permission for the use of these rites. This policy remains
unchanged."
In his
statement, the Tennessee bishop also said that while the concept of civil
marriage has interplay between church and state, marriage is an institution
"that predates any civil code." "No justice or legislature
determines a use of faith communities in courtesy to marriage,"
Bauerschmidt concluded.
Earlier in
July, Episcopal bishops endorsed new wedding services for homosexuals to get
"married" in church. The bishops changed their denomination's canons
governing marriage, substituting the terms "man" and
"woman" with "couple." Also, the bishops censored the
line "Holy Matrimony is a physical and spiritual union of a man and a
woman" from the canon. The changes are to take effect November 1.
Bishop Bauerschmidt
has said he considers relationships between men and women one of the "most
basic foundations of human culture." He spoke against the changes at the
convention, explaining that "procreation" is a central part of the
Christian understanding of marriage. Christian matrimony "must have the
potential to be fruitful in the procreation of a third person," he
argued.
In a
compromise with those who still believe in natural marriage, the denomination's
bishops allowed clergy the right to refuse to perform a same-sex
"marriage," with the promise they would incur no penalty. Bishops
were also given the right to refuse to allow the services to take place in
their dioceses. Bishop Bauerschmidt has exercised that right to refuse. If
indeed the denomination's new policy is adhered to, he should experience no
negative repercussions.
Nevertheless,
the Tennessean has come under fire from gay activists both outside and within
the denomination. Some bishops insist on no right for clergy to opt out of
performing gay "marriages" and no right for bishops to disallow them
in their dioceses.
The leader
of Anglicans worldwide, including the U.S. Episcopal Church, Archbishop of
Canterbury Justin Welby, released a statement expressing his "deep
concern" over the bishops' decision and urged the bishops to change their
minds. Welby wrote that the "decision will cause distress for some and
have ramifications for the Anglican Communion as a whole, as well as for its
ecumenical and interfaith relationships."
Bishop
Edward S. Little II of northern Indiana argued at the denomination's convention
that the changes "alter the received faith of the church." Bishop
William Love of Albany told his brother bishops, "God incarnate ... [was]
quite aware of the nature of marriage and could have offered alternatives but
did not." Love continued, "God has told us that is not appropriate to
use the gift of sexual intimacy" outside the marriage of one man and one
woman.
The
majority of Episcopalian bishops decided that same-gender sexual intimacy is
morally acceptable and should be blessed in faithful covenanted relationships.
The former bishop of New Hampshire, V. Gene Robinson — the first openly gay
Episcopal bishop – said that "gays and lesbians are living out their lives
in holy ways." Robinson commented that the bishops' decision to
change the denomination's canons on marriage "declare[s] how far we have
come."
A
spokesman for Anglicans, Bishop Rev. Pierre Whalon, assured those concerned
that "the change of canons does not change anything."
The
numbers of Christian faithful are severely dropping in America, with as many as
7.8 million fewer followers over the past seven years. The largest decline
has been within mainline Protestantism, a group of denominations increasingly
embracing homosexuality as a moral lifestyle and homosexual
"marriage" as blessed by God.
The
Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee oversees 45 churches, missions, parishes, and
chaplaincy churches, with 16,000 members throughout the state.
