wfn.org | Sexuality debate heats up before Lambeth conference

[ENS.parti@ecunet.org (ENS)]

Carey, Spong
December 4, 1997
Episcopal News Service
Jim Solheim, Director
212-922-5385
ens@ecunet.org97-2031
Sexuality debate heats up before Lambeth conference

Carey, Spong tangle over statements on homosexuality

by Michael Barwell
     (ENS) A war of words about the variety of opinions on
homosexuality in the Anglican Communion heated up in November when
an outspoken liberal U.S. bishop and the evangelical Archbishop of
Canterbury clashed in a series of public letters. 
     Strong accusations were made and tempers apparently flared
during a harsh exchange of letters between Bishop John S. Spong of
Newark, New Jersey, and Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey after
Spong sent a "white paper" on homosexuality to all of the worldwide
church's leading bishops.
     In the paper, Spong accused Carey of showing "no moral
credibility" and "disappointing those who expect more of his leadership
role." He demanded that homosexuality be "openly and authentically"
discussed at next summer's Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops and
questioned Carey's ability to lead such a discussion in an impartial
manner. 

Avoiding a showdown
     Carey immediately responded, accusing Spong of using a 
"hectoring and intemperate tone" and inflaming an already explosive
situation as nearly 800 bishops from around the world prepare to gather
in Canterbury next July for the decennial Lambeth Conference.
     Sending a copy of his response to the recipients of Spong's letter,
Carey said he fears that the entire Lambeth Conference would be
jeopardized by a "showdown" on the sexuality issues. The conference is
an advisory gathering which helps to set the worldwide agenda for the
church.
     Carey warned Spong and the other bishops of the "divisive
potential of this, not just for the communion, but for people more
generally. If bishops come to Lambeth expecting a showdown on this
issue, I am quite clear that there will follow a very negative and
destructive conflict. . ."

Strong words already flying  
     Spong issued his letter to the primates of the Anglican
Communion on November 12 in London, outlining his "deep concern for
a significant part of both our communion and the human race; namely the
gay and lesbian population of our world."
     His nine-page paper is partly in response to recent statements
which have openly criticized the American church for progressive views
on sexuality.
     During the "Life and Witness" conference in Dallas this fall, a
group of conservative African and American bishops said "it is not
acceptable for a pro-gay agenda to be smuggled into the church's
program or foisted upon our people--and we will not permit it."
     Earlier this year, a statement issued by the Second Anglican
Encounter in the South in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, chastised the
Episcopal Church for "setting aside biblical teaching" by ordaining
homosexuals and for considering same-sex unions. "This is totally
unacceptable to us," they wrote, and Archbishop Moses Tay of Singapore
later threatened to move to "expel those provinces" considering such
actions.

`Ignorance and fears'
     "I am fearful that when we meet at the Lambeth Conference in
1998, we will act out of our long-standing ignorance and fears, instead of
out of the Gospel imperative and thus deal one more violent blow to
these victims of our traditional prejudices," Spong wrote, adding he
intended to "challenge the prejudice and ignorance that I believe has been
inflicted upon this communion."
     Citing "dramatic new insights" in science and human behavior,
Spong criticized the church for "suppressing homosexuality," which, he
asserts, is "constant in every generation and society" and "part of the
human and biological norm. It is not an aberration or a sickness that
needs to be overcome."
     Spong argued that the scientific evidence is "overwhelmingly
accepted by the medical and scientific community" but continues to be
rejected "by uninformed religious people who buttress their attitude with
appeals to a literal understanding of the Bible. This same mentality has
marked every debate about every new insight that has arisen in the
western world over the last six hundred years. It is a tired, threadbare
argument and has become one of embarrassment to the cause of Christ,"
Spong wrote.
     Spong also personally attacked Carey's leadership, suggesting that
he was acting out of his own prejudices and showed "no moral
credibility" and of making "ill-informed statements" on homosexuality.
     He also accused Maurice Sinclair, the Archbishop of the Southern
Cone in South America, of misusing the Bible as a "weapon of
repression" to condemn homosexual persons. He likened Sinclair's
statements to the 17th century church's use of biblical passages to
condemn Copernicus and Galileo for their discoveries of the universe,
18th century justifications for slavery, or 20th century distortions to
"undergird segregation, apartheid and the second-class status of women.
The Bible must never be used to give moral justification to prejudice of
any kind," Spong wrote.

Carey reasserts openness
     "I assure you that there will be open and honest debate on all
issues that concern our Communion," Carey responded. "I expect that to
characterize the discussion on homosexuality. I understand that you feel
passionately about this, and that you have the support of a significant
number of bishops. However, I ask you in turn to recognize that a very
large number of bishops from all over the world disagree with you with
equal passion."
     Carey also reinforced his recent suggestion to create an
international commission to consider the issues--similar to the Eames
Commission which was created in 1988, after the last conference, to hold
the communion together while it faced the possibility of women bishops.
     "The conference will be less inclined to do so, however, if you,
or indeed, others on the opposite side of the argument, intend to split the
conference open on this matter," Carey wrote. "Do come in peace, do
come to learn, do come to share--and leave behind the campaigning
tactics which are so inappropriate and unproductive, whoever employs
them."

Another shot
     Spong immediately fired back another response, charging that
Carey had not been quick to accuse the other bishops of being
"intemperate" in the Dallas or Kuala Lumpur statements.
     "Those statements made assertions about gay and lesbian people
that were not just intemperate, but offensive, rude and hostile. Those
statements went to far as to threaten schism if their point of view did not
prevail or to break off communion with provinces of our Communion
who disagreed with them.
     "The statements also threatened to withdraw financial support
from the work of the Church unless the Church's leadership endorses
their point of view. That strikes me as a form of ecclesiastical
blackmail," Spong wrote. "By your silence in the face of these affronts,
you reveal quite clearly where your own convictions lie. That makes it
quite difficult to have confidence in your willingness to handle this debate
in an even-handed way."
     Charging that Carey and other English bishops were more
concerned with church unity than with truth, Spong asserted that "the
church can live with divisions." 
     "Church unity is important to me, but it is not an ultimate value.
Truth and justice are," Spong wrote. 
     "I seek, and will continue to do so in the future, to stand between
the gay and lesbian people I am privileged to serve and the negativity and
abuse of one more insensitive statement issued on this subject by those
who, while quite sincere, are not well-informed," he said.
     "I will come to Lambeth guided by the motto of my theological
seminary [Virginia Theological Seminary], "to seek the truth of God
whence it may, cost what it will," Spong concluded.

--Michael Barwell is deputy director of news and information for the
Episcopal Church.