I would like to share with my blog readers two items here. One is a copy of an email I sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury via email to Lambeth Palace. The other item is the response to the first email sent from the Press Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury. They are here for your reading and all comments are welcome.
My Name:Philip Lowe, Jr.
Email Address:BearBudMN@yahoo.com
Comments/Questions:
Dear Your Grace,
I ask you on behalf of my partner Jason King and myself to please speak up against the draconian "kill the gays" bill in Uganda and not chastise the Episcopal Church in the United States for the Diocese of Los Angeles' election of Bishop-elect Mary Glasspool.
Clearly the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda is a threat to the basic human rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered individuals. The idea that someone can be put in jail and/or killed due to their sexual orientation and/or gender expression/identity is nothing more than the threat of a holocaust. It is allowing one's sexuality to be the basis of one's freedom and a judgment upon the value of one's life.
The election of the Suffragan Bishop-Elect Mary Glasspool is a recognition of her outstanding leadership as a Canon and Priest, not because of her sexual orientation. Bishop-Elect Mary Glasspool has been in a faithful relationship for 20 years now and deserves more respect and admiration for her courageous life than it does defy the "gracious restraint" requested on behalf of the Anglican Communion.
Your Grace, these are not issues of morality, nor are they issues of defiance of Scriptural Truths, instead they are human rights issues. They are the Gospel of Jesus Christ being lived out in the ministry of the Church on behalf of all those marginalized by society and the Church. It is time for the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion to make a step of faith and shake up the Christian world by recognizing God's image and likeness in people who are LGBT. To fail to do this, is to fail to be witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who called all of his Disciples to follow him in bearing witness that he is the Truth. He is the Truth that sets the captives free. Leaving the captive LGBT individuals in Uganda to face being executed for being gay or lesbian and not speaking up on their behalf is an outrageous silence that cannot be accepted. Hearing your office speak out against a Bishop-Elect who has lived faithfully the ministry of the Episcopal Church and is now elected to serve as a Bishop was so disappointing and it sent such a negative message. We believe that the wrong right message was chastised, while the message that needs a voice on behalf of those threatened by prejudice and discrimination has gone unchallenged. We humbly ask you to reconsider and to please exercise your office as the Archbishop of Canterbury to speak out for the outcast of society, not speak against the outcasts of society.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Very Sincerely Yours,
Philip Lowe, Jr. & Jason King
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Dear Mr Lowe & Mr King,
Thank you for your message and for taking the trouble to write about this deeply painful issue.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is very clear that the Private Member’s Bill being discussed in Uganda as drafted is entirely unacceptable from a pastoral, moral and legal point of view. It is a cause of deep concern, fear and, to many, outrage. The Archbishop has publicly stated that “the proposed legislation is of shocking severity and I can’t see how it can be supported by any Anglican who is committed to what the Communion has said in recent decades”.
For its part the Church of Uganda has clearly restated its opposition to the death penalty. As the Ugandan Church continues to formulate its position on the bill as a whole, the Archbishop has been working intensively behind the scenes (over the past weeks) to ensure that there is clarity on how the proposed bill is contrary to Anglican teaching.
Marie Papworth
Press Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lambeth Palace, London, SE1 7JU,
www.archbishopofcanterbury.org
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
This message is intended solely for the addressee(s) in the first instance and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the message from your system immediately and do not disclose the contents to any other party.
Your Grace, would you prefer maple syrup or blueberry syrup on your waffle?
ReplyDeleteThe Archbishop has publicly stated that “the proposed legislation is of shocking severity and I can’t see how it can be supported by any Anglican who is committed to what the Communion has said in recent decades”.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know when and where he said this and why it hasn't been widely reported.
Ellie, the ABC had an interview with the Telegraph in the UK on December 12th. You will find it at the link I have provided.
ReplyDeleteSo actually it is a falsehood that he publicly stated this. He privately stated this to a reporter in a one-on-one interview. We only know about it publicly because the reporter included it in his published article regarding the interview. He the reporter not asked the question and drawn this response from +Cantaur and then reported the answer we would have zilch from this total disappointment of an appointee.
ReplyDelete