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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5353 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Mon Nov 12th, 2007 10:11 pm |
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The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago avoided deepening the rift over homosexuality within the Anglican Communion on Saturday when it elected the Rev. Jeffrey Lee as its twelfth bishop.
There were seven candidates for the position, including the Rev. Tracy Lind, the openly lesbian dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland.
Had Lind been elected, she would have been the second openly homosexual Episcopal bishop after V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
It was the 2003 consecration of Robinson that drove the worldwide Anglican Communion to the point of schism, pitting more liberal-leaning Episcopalians against traditionalists, who favor a conservative interpretation of Scripture.
The election of another openly homosexual bishop would have likely deepened the divisions within the Anglican Communion.
Lee, the new Chicago Bishop, is regarded as a moderate. In a statement given to 500 delegates before the vote, Lee said he wanted to keep conversation going with conservatives on gay clergy but at the same time supported "the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the church."
Earlier this year, The Episcopal Church said it would “exercise restraint” in choosing more gay bishops after intense pressure from conservative leaders in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Lee supported the decision by The Episcopal Church, writing that he had a "deep desire to keep the conversation going forward at the international level."
"He (Lee) would be perceived as someone who is qualified for the job, but not polarizing as other candidates might have been," commented the Rev. Canon Mike Stephenson of the Diocese of Chicago, according to the Associated Press.
Lee was the rector of St. Thomas Church in Medina, Wash., and was elected on the second ballot, comfortably surpassing the required 308 clergy and lay votes with 337.
Lind came in fourth on both ballots, receiving just 16 votes of clergy and lay people in the second ballot in which Lee was elected.
In Lee’s statement, the reverend said that his church supported the inclusion of gays and lesbians, but did not exclude members who disagree with that stance.
"I make it clear that I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but as a leader I have a duty to articulate my own understanding of what God may be calling the church to do," he said.
According to AP, Lee said that he was "honored and humbled" by the appointment. His consecration ceremony is slated for Feb. 2, 2008.
Outgoing Bishop William Persell said that many of the delegates who voted where aware that voting for Lind would have sparked controversy.
He also said that “this election should not be seen as a vote against a gay or lesbian person" and that the Diocese of Chicago was as committed as ever to full inclusion of lesbians and gays.
The above article is reposted from The Christian Post.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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sewnsew
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 850 |
| First Name: | Kim | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Anglican, Episcopal /Catholic-04/07/07 |
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 09:58 am |
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| Quite frankly I don't think that choosing a non Lesbian Bishop will avoid a further widening of the rift- the Levbian/Gay faction will know that they is they only reason that they have been passed over and will not take it well..
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Lee
Member
| Joined: | Fri May 18th, 2007 |
| Location: | Birmingham, Alabama USA |
| Posts: | 70 |
| First Name: | Lee | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Charismatic-nondenom.-Presbyterian-Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 10:52 am |
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| The Episcopal Church is doing what it has always done, what it was structured to do from the very beginning in the mid 1500s by Thomas Cranmer--take the middle way, the "Via Media," so that everyone and anyone can belong to the Church of England.
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sewnsew
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 850 |
| First Name: | Kim | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Anglican, Episcopal /Catholic-04/07/07 |
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 10:55 am |
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| Too true
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Current time is 07:11 pm | |
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