[Apologetics] A split in the Anglican Church is inevitable, says bishop

[Art Kelly]

Anglicans must split, says bishop
 
A split in the Anglican Church is inevitable with
divisions between liberal and conservative factions
"irreconcilable", a senior bishop says. 
The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali,
told the Daily Telegraph there were "virtually two
religions" in the Church. 

His comments came as the US Episcopal Church chose a
woman as its next leader - the first Anglican Church
to do so. 

The US Church has also controversially ordained the
first openly gay bishop. 

The appointment of Gene Robinson sparked fury from
African Churches and other traditionalists. 

The US Episcopal Church's governing general convention
meeting in Ohio - at which Katharine Jefferts Schori
was voted leader - is under pressure to "repent" of
its decision to ordain him. 

Traditionalists also want it to ban future openly gay
bishops and to end the blessing of same-sex unions in
church services. 

'Two positions' 

"Anglicans are used to fudging things sometimes but I
think this is a matter of such seriousness that fudge
won't do," Bishop Nazir-Ali told the Telegraph, in an
interview while a guest at the convention. 

"Sometimes you have to recognise that there are two
irreconcilable positions and you have to choose
between them. 

"The right choice is in line with the Bible and the
Church's teaching down the ages, not some new-fangled
religion we have invented to respond to the 21st
Century." 

He said the US Church has become detached from its
Anglican roots. 

"Nobody wants a split but if you think you have
virtually two religions in a single Church something
has got to give sometime," he said. 

 My fear is that the Church of England has made a
number of moves in the liberal, Protestant direction 
Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali  

A decision by its House of Bishops to back civil
marriages for gay couples showed this, he said. 

"In the House of Bishops on Friday, they were passing
resolutions that affect the Anglican understanding of
marriage at the deepest level without theological
debate," he said. 

"It is not only what was done but the way it was done.
It was so serious that things like gay bishops are
just an interesting footnote." 

Bishop Nazir-Ali said he also had concerns over the
liberal direction the Church of England was heading. 

"My fear is that the Church of England has made a
number of moves in the liberal, Protestant direction,"
he said. 

"That gives me concerns that the Bible will become
less important and that the Church is moving away from
its traditional Catholic order. 

"If you move in that direction you become a kind of
options Church, where you live by preferences." 


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/5093544.stm

Published: 2006/06/19 06:50:55 GMT

© BBC MMVI


                           
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