Is denying same sex marriage unconstitutional?
“An article in The Conversation on 30 August 2016, “Marriage ‘inequality’ is a threat to religious freedom – and it is probably unconstitutional” by academic Dr Luke Beck, Lecturer in Constitutional Law at Western Sydney University, suggests that, far from proposals to redefine marriage to include same sex couples being a threat to religious freedom, the current law (which does not recognize such relationships) is itself in breach of free exercise of religion principles.
Dr Beck, it has to be said, is one of Australia’s foremost legal experts on s 116 of the Constitution (I regularly cite his many articles on the topic to my students in the “Law and Religion” course I teach.) So it is with some hesitation that I have to say I disagree with his view on this issue. But disagree I do.”
– Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia lays out the reasons he is not convinced.
Statement from the Task Force of GAFCON UK in response to John Bingham’s article in the Daily Telegraph 29/8/2016
“GAFCON UK warmly commends the initiative of Rev Dr Peter Sanlon and others from a number of parishes in the Home Counties to set up a ‘shadow synod’ as stated in John Bingham’s article ‘Parishes begin Church split’.
This is a grass-roots initiative by local congregations which is representative of the views of many across the country, and is in line with the concerns of Anglicans from the GAFCON movement worldwide…”
– A statement from the GAFCON UK Task Force – via AMiE. (Photo: Dr. Peter Sanlon, St Mark’s, Tunbridge Wells.)
And here is the online version of the article by John Bingham in The Telegraph.
The Rev Dr Peter Sanlon, Vicar of St Mark’s Church in Tunbridge Wells, who is hosting this week’s meeting, said: “If senior leaders of the Church of England water down the teaching of the Church of England on key issues like homosexuality, then this synod could easily evolve in to a new Anglican jurisdiction in England.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury has signalled that he is aware of the possibility that a significant proportion of the church will not accept a change in the church’s teaching.
“This could be the beginning of that playing out.”
Canberra Rector asks Bill Shorten for ‘a civil and tolerant discussion’ on Same Sex Marriage
“Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has been accused of intolerance and ‘brutal’ language towards people opposed to same-sex marriage, in a confrontation with a rector outside a church service this morning.
Mr Shorten was among politicians attending the service to mark the start of the parliamentary year.
The Labor leader is a vocal advocate of same-sex marriage, but has raised concerns a plebiscite would be divisive and encourage the vilification of same-sex couples.
Rector Ian Powell, from a Canberra Anglican church, took the opportunity to raise concerns about Labor’s approach. …”
– Report and image from ABC News. (Watch to the end.)
Related: on 2GB today, Ben Fordham spoke with Michael Jensen.
Abp of Canterbury and the Pope to celebrate 50th anniversary of Anglican Centre in Rome
Coming up in October –
“The Archbishop of Canterbury will join Pope Francis for a joint service of Evening Prayer in the church of San Gregorio al Celio. Both men will preach and a Joint Declaration will be read out.
The service will combine elements of Anglican Evensong and Catholic Vespers, and will see the Sistine Chapel Choir joined by the choir of Canterbury Cathedral as they join together in common worship.
The central piece of the service will be the blessing and sending-out of pairs of IARCCUM bishops. The International Anglican and Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission is made-up of pairs of bishops from around the world, who work together in their own countries, to follow Pope Francis’ call that we should walk together as if we were one.”
– from The Anglican Centre in Rome.
Related:
Why the Reformation is Definitely Not Over
and
Is the Pope a Catholic? Understanding the Catholic Church.
David Cook interviewed on the Same-Sex Marriage Plebiscite and Safe Schools
Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook was interviewed last night (24 August 2016) on Sky News’ The Bolt Report.
While video of the show is not available, the audio can be heard at this link. The segment begins at 5:00 and runs for almost 8 minutes.
David is asked how ministers in the Presbyterian Church might respond to a plebiscite result supporting same-sex marriage, and why Christians believe the issues are so important.
Update: David Cook writes,
“On Wednesday, 24th August, I agreed to appear and be interviewed on the Bolt Report on the Sky news channel, regarding same sex marriage.
The interview was about 10 minutes of which Andrew Bolt took half that time in introducing the issue. I had much more to say, but the constraints of national media, made it impossible for me to say more than I did. I appreciated the opportunity to speak on behalf of the church and for Andrew Bolt’s interest; and here is ‘the more’ of what I had to say, the precis of which I delivered on air…”
Topics included —
- What do Presbyterians believe about marriage?
- If there is a Plebiscite what will be the Presbyterian response?
- What will be the impact of the imposition of the Safe School curriculum on Presbyterian schools?
- Why is this issue so important?
The C of E: Limits to diversity and the inevitability of separation?
“Is the Church of England basically orthodox in its beliefs, and if so, is this a good thing for the Church’s mission to the nation and in fact its very survival? …”
– At Anglican Mainstream, Andrew Symes asks what is the future of the Church of England if so many in its leadership see orthodox belief as a stumbling-block to connecting with the nation.
After “Shared Conversations” what Gospel will the Church of England share?
“In Nairobi, Kenya I still remember a Sunday lunch Archbishop Eliud Wabukala hosted for Archbishop Justin Welby and other Archbishops, bishops and honored guests gathered the day before GAFCON 2013 began.
During that lunch, Archbishop Peter Jensen gave the opening remarks. He reminded all those present—and as he looked directly at Archbishop Justin Welby—that he and other GAFCON Primates had been asked not once, not twice, but three times to go back to their Bibles and reread what it had to say about issues of sexuality. Archbishop Peter Jensen said that he and the GAFCON Primates had done so, and had concluded that God’s word on homosexuality and same-sex marriage was clear, authoritative and unchanged. On the eve of GAFCON 2013, he cited this conviction as among the principal reasons he and others in GAFCON were standing for Biblical clarity and authority.
Immediately following, Archbishop Welby was invited to give remarks. He came forward and thanked Archbishop Jensen for his stirring speech. He then gave brief remarks that concluded with, “please don’t forget lost people.” And then he sat down.
The Archbishop of Canterbury failed to engage Archbishop Jensen’s remarks about Biblical clarity and authority. In that context, his plea not to forget lost people reveals the false dichotomy that seems to be at the heart of Canterbury’s thinking and the ‘Shared conversations.’ It is just this: that if we hold fast to the clarity and authority of the Bible, we will never reach lost people…”
– American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey writes about a revealing incident in Nairobi, and the apparent thinking behind the Church of England’s Shared Conversations. Emphasis added.
(Photo: Canon Ashey reporting from Nairobi in 2013.)
George Whitefield College intro video
The team at George Whitefield College in Cape Town, South Africa, recently released this encouraging 5 minute video to introduce the college to a wider audience.
Many of our readers well know that Dr Broughton Knox was the founding Principal of GWC. He and Ailsa travelled to South Africa in 1989, after a long and fruitful ministry in Sydney at Moore College.
George Whitefield College has grown wonderfully under the hand of the Lord over the last 27 years.
Please be encouraged to pray for the College: the faculty and students, and their influence for Christ throughout Africa and around the world.
Can we learn from history? — Bishop Colenso and the Lambeth Conference
“Once upon the time there was a bishop—an Anglican bishop—who decided that you couldn’t trust the Bible. He claimed that the Bible was not clear about human sexuality and he rejected the Christian doctrine of marriage between one man and one woman. He wrote that the Bible was not historically trustworthy, and that we ought to prefer our own powers of reason and conscience to know God…”
– Top article from Phil Ashey at the American Anglican Council.
Related: Kevin Kallsen of Anglican TV interviews Canon Phil Ashey.
Great background to the new role of the American Anglican Council in helping the development of churches in the ACNA and further afield.
GAFCON Statement on Proposed Primates’ Meeting 2017
Just released:
“In the last week, there has been news of a potential Primates’ Meeting scheduled to begin October 2, 2017. Consequently, we have received a number of inquiries, both from the media and our membership, asking the question of whether or not the Gafcon Primates will attend.
For all who had hoped that attendance at the January 2016 Primates’ Gathering might restore godly order to the Communion, the results were clearly discouraging. Gafcon is fully committed to guarding the unchanging truth of the Gospel, and restoring the Bible to the heart of the Anglican Communion. In due course, the Gafcon Primates will take counsel and together make a decision about the wisdom of attending future meetings.
The next meeting of the Gafcon Primates’ Council is in April of 2017. We give thanks for the courage that is being shown by our members across the globe, as they share God’s Word both ‘in season and out of season’. Please continue to pray for the continued growth of this reformation movement.”
How we became GAFCON — 5 minute video
Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen describes how GAFCON came about, and why it is needed, in this new video.
Pass the link around.
And here is a 60 second video from Dr Jensen on the same topic.
See also: Where are we now? The aftermath of the January meeting of the Primates – Peter Jensen.
“In January this year, the Primates of the Anglican Communion were summoned by the Archbishop of Canterbury to a meeting. So serious is the crisis in the Communion about the authority of God’s word that almost every Primate attended.
As I have said previously, the result was the mildest possible rebuke over the greatest offence for the greatest offenders, with the hope that there may be repentance.
It is now perfectly clear that the meeting failed in its intention. Far from being rebuked, the leaders of the Episcopal Church said that they intend to continue in their present course and indeed to export their ideas vigorously to the rest of the world…” (Read more.)
Canterbury is only as helpful as he is faithful
“So the Archbishop of Canterbury has called for yet another meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion for October, 2017. As if this meeting could cure the wound that has been made even more incurable by his own personal failure to uphold the recommendations of the meeting he called in January of this year—failures that I documented several weeks ago in “At this point, why should we care about the Anglican Communion?”.
When I last wrote about this, I emphasised the Archbishop’s failure to defend the special role of Bishops to guard the doctrine, discipline and order of the Church…”
– The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey points out that the way forward is not through Canterbury.
Amazing Love? A review article from Church Society
From Church Society in the UK:
‘Amazing Love: Theology for Understanding Discipleship, Sexuality and Mission’ is a new book, edited by Andrew Davison, which seeks to promote a change to the Church of England’s doctrine of marriage.
In an extended two-part review, Dr Peter Sanlon, Vicar of St Mark’s Church, Tunbridge Wells, analyses the claims of the book –
“This aim of this book can be given in the authors’ own words: ‘This short book explains why we think it’s good for Christians to embrace their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and to celebrate their relationships … We think that the Church should be willing – delighted even – to hallow and strengthen such commitments.’…”
“This volume has the appearance of being a digest of thoughtful and considered academic research. However that is just the surface reality – a carefully curated image. Academic publisher, long sub-title, titled academics listed as authors. It looks like academic work; but upon closer examination the mirage fades.…
It is stated on numerous occasions in the book that the aim of the authors is the embrace and acceptance of homosexual relationships by the Church of England. In reality the book has a much larger goal. The goal is nothing less than a wholesale revision of the Christian Faith into a different religion.”
A Roman Catholic canon for Belfast Cathedral
“St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, has appointed the Very Rev Edward O’Donnell, Parish Priest of St Brigid’s, Belfast, as an Ecumenical Canon.
This is the first time in the history of St Anne’s that a Roman Catholic Priest will serve on the Cathedral Chapter…”
– St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, Church of Ireland.
‘Rabbi in Residence’ for TEC cathedral
“The Bishop of Western Massachusetts in the US-based Episcopal Church has appointed a Rabbi in Residence for the diocese’s Christ Church Cathedral. From 1 September, Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro will take adult education classes and will also ‘preach periodically in the Sunday liturgy.’…”
– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service.
Photo and announcement from the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…