First female Episcopal bishop (no spam)

[fable]

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church, 30 years after it allowed women to become priests and bishops, has elected a woman as its Presiding Bishop. Katharine Jefferts Schori, 52, bishop of Nevada, was elected from a slate of seven nominees, on the fifth ballot June 18, as the 26th Presiding Bishop. She is the first woman to hold the top post in the church's nearly 400-year history. Her nine-year term officially begins November 1; she will be invested and seated November 4 during a liturgy at Washington National Cathedral.

Jefferts Schori breaks tradition in other ways. The airplane pilot and former oceanographer addressed deputies and visitors who gathered in the Columbus Convention Center in both Spanish and English. She thanked the other nominees and reassured the church of her passion for mission. She also offered a vision of reconciliation and actualization of the reign of God...

The other nominees were bishops J. Neil Alexander of Atlanta; Edwin F. Gulick Jr., of Kentucky; Henry N. Parsley, Jr. of Alabama; Stacy F. Sauls of Lexington; Charles E. Jenkins III, of Louisiana, and Francisco Duque-Gomez of Colombia.

"I give deep and abiding thanks for the ministry of the current Presiding Bishop," she said after an introduction by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold. She added that she hoped his "gifts continue to be shared within the church and the world in years to come because he has very much to give us all."

Among the deputies who spoke in support of Jefferts Schori was Blanca Echeverry, wife of nominee Bishop Francisco Duque-Gomez of Colombia. "I stand before you to urge you to support her election," Echeverry told the gathering in Spanish, through an interpreter, before the vote was taken. She praised Jefferts Schori as someone who understands the church in Latin America with the assistance of the Rev. Yamily Bass-Choate, rector of La Iglesia Memorial de San Adreas, New York, former Province IV Coordinator of Hispanic Ministries, and a native of Colombia...

However, Deputy Eddie Blue of Maryland, said he would not support Jefferts Schori's election. "I am shocked, dismayed and saddened by the choice of the House of Bishops," he told the House. Citing strains within the Anglican Communion concerning issues of gender and sexuality, he added: "We are acting as imperialists, as we often do."

There's much more to it, but the point is that the Anglican communion is already in a turmoil. The US recently gave it another first, a gay bishop, and now this. There is serious discussion among the bishops about demanding that the US group recant, or leave the communion; or that the African and South American Anglicans will do so.

Remember, too, that when the Anglican bishops agreed to allow women into the pastorship, at least a few of their number jumped to Roman Catholicism. It would seem that Anglicans are facing perilous times, though in my opinion they are at least facing them, as opposed to facing the 6th century and declaring it the permanent future. No points for figuring out which religion or religions I might mean.

What's your opinion?

[mr_sir]

We've had homosexual priests and bishops for a while over here. It caused a fuss at first but it all seems to have died down now. I'm not sure if we have female bishops or not, but if not then I can't see it being much longer as we've had female priests for ages.

Personally I don't see what the problem is with female or gay priests etc., but maybe thats because I don't really see the problem with homosexuality and equal rights anyway. Coming from a quite religious Christian family, I know my family are opposed to stuff like homosexuality but not to female priests/bishops etc. I just don't see what the fuss is about. Don't all these religions say that God is the only one that is allowed to judge people and that he will forgive people for anything providing that they have faith in him? So I don't see what gives people in these religions the right to object to stuff like that. If they don't move forward with the times they will be left behind and their numbers will continue to fall as people have enough of all of their rules and objections to everything. I am no longer a Christian because I got tired of everyone thinking they can make up whatever rules they like just to make people do what they want them to do.

[fable]

Originally Posted by mr_sir

We've had homosexual priests and bishops for a while over here. It caused a fuss at first but it all seems to have died down now.

Yes, but that was only after several of your ministers and their congregations left the Anglican communion. The reason the anger died down is that those who were angry are no longer, in many cases, Anglicans.

I'm not sure if we have female bishops or not, but if not then I can't see it being much longer as we've had female priests for ages.

You don't have, because this is the first. I'm not saying this in a "gee, the US has the first!" kind of idiotic oneupmanship. I'm sure you know I haven't got a nationalistic bone in what's left of my body.

Personally I don't see what the problem is with female or gay priests etc., but maybe thats because I don't really see the problem with homosexuality and equal rights anyway. Coming from a quite religious Christian family, I know my family are opposed to stuff like homosexuality but not to female priests/bishops etc. I just don't see what the fuss is about.

As much as we think that Amero-European societies are homophobic, I've read that this is far stronger in African and South American nations. Several African bishops were interviewed on the BBC at the time that a gay bishop was elected to the New Hampshire Anglican diocese, and they were adamant that homosexuality is a self-inflicted aberration or disease. They pointed repeatedly to the OT way of dealing with homosexuality, and said they were following their holy books on this point.

bishops derive from severely homophobic cultures.

Don't all these religions say that God is the only one that is allowed to judge people and that he will forgive people for anything providing that they have faith in him? So I don't see what gives people in these religions the right to object to stuff like that.

But the way of Judaism in dealing with homosexuality was pretty much made clear in the case of Sodom, wasn't it? Hell, even masturbation was considered a crime punishable by stoning. The literal bible is full of justifications for all sorts of punishments that modern Jews, Christians and Muslims overlook. The question is, where do you draw the line? And the conservative Anglican bishops draw it at the point that gays and women were not traditionally bishops.

[Lestat]

Originally Posted by fable

As much as we think that Amero-European societies are homophobic, I've read that this is far stronger in African and South American nations. Several African bishops were interviewed on the BBC at the time that a gay bishop was elected to the New Hampshire Anglican diocese, and they were adamant that homosexuality is a self-inflicted aberration or disease. They pointed repeatedly to the OT way of dealing with homosexuality, and said they were following their holy books on this point.

Having lived several years in Africa (in different countries, Islamic & Christian) and having people in my family that also went regularly to Africa and have regular contact with Africans, and well educated Africans at that, I can assure you that what you read is right.

Literal quote from a PhD student from Gabon: "L'homosexualité, c'est une invention des blancs." (Homosexuality is a invention of the white people). And that's one of the milder things...

Though on other matters African society can be remarkably less uptight than European or American society, that is not the case on homosexuality.