Gay Bishop Denies Saying Jesus Was Gay

[TomS]

Gay Bishop Denies Saying Jesus Was Gay

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

MANCHESTER, N.H. — The first openly gay Episcopal bishop says he is being falsely accused of suggesting that Jesus might have been homosexual.

"I can assure you with absolute certainty that was not my implication, and certainly not anything I ever said," Bishop V. Gene Robinson (search) told the New Hampshire Union Leader.

He said he is "being flooded with angry messages" because of Web log comments about his comments at a Feb. 13 forum on sexual issues at Christ Church in Hamilton, Mass.

Robinson said he was making the point that the nuclear family is a relatively new idea and that, even for his time, Jesus apparently led a nontraditional life.

"Interestingly enough, in this day of traditional family values and so on," Robinson says in a recording from the forum on the church's Web site, "this man that we follow ... was single as far as we know; who traveled with a bunch of men, although there were lots of women around; who had a disciple who was known as `the one whom Jesus loved'; who said 'my family is not my mother and father, my family are those who do the will of God' — none of us like those harsh words. That's who Jesus is, that's who he was, at least in his earthly life."

Pointing out that Jesus was not married with children "is a long way from saying Jesus is gay, or saying that he had sex with anyone, male or female," Robinson said Monday.

Robinson married and had two daughters before accepting his own homosexuality. He has lived for years with his male partner.

"I happen to think the traditional family is a wonderful thing. I'm a product of it," said at the Hamilton forum. "I dearly love my family, and I love my own family, with my own two kids. It just looks a little nontraditional. But this Jesus, when you ask who is Jesus, he was not terribly mainstream, was he?"

Robinson did not immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment Tuesday.

The Episcopal Church (search), with 2.4 million members, is the U.S. branch of the 77 million-member Anglican Communion (search), which traces its roots to the Church of England. The church has been roiled by controversy since Robinson's ordination in 2003.

[Nacho]

Geeeez......What a loser. A bishop like Robinson and churches like (if you dare to call them churches) ECUSA, Uniited Methodist, & Presbyterian Church USA is what you get when the American Left attempts to do religion. Pretty bad mix to say the least...

[Rilian]

I'm sure at some point we'll see ENS headlines like "Priest shocks congregation by saying Jesus may have had a divine nature" or "Bishop goes on trial for heresy of Trinitarianism". etc., etc.

[spiros]

Hey All,
 I have not posted in a while, but this statement by Robinson leads to an  iresistable need to vent. There is a part of me that wishes the Orthodox church could issue a fatwah in cases like this.

[Veniamin]

Hey All,
 I have not posted in a while, but this statement by Robinson leads to an  iresistable need to vent. There is a part of me that wishes the Orthodox church could issue a fatwah in cases like this.

Do anathemas not work for that? 

[spiros]

Only if anathemas  also authorized headthumpin or buttkickin

[Veniamin]

Only if anathemas  also authorized headthumpin or buttkickin

Like an Orthodox Inquisiton?

[spiros]

OK...........maybe this fatwah thing is not a good idea................guess we will just have to pray for him.

[Veniamin]

OK...........maybe this fatwah thing is not a good idea................guess we will just have to pray for him.

Darn, I had Mel Brooks all lined up to do a musical Inquisition number for us, too.  Drat.

[spiros]

 

[Αριστοκλής]

Geeeez......What a loser. A bishop like Robinson and churches like (if you dare to call them churches) ECUSA, Uniited Methodist, & Presbyterian Church USA is what you get when the American Left attempts to do religion. Pretty bad mix to say the least...

I don't know about the "American Left" part of this, but I am concerned that our Roman Catholic cousins will shortly begin further down the path of destruction. All these recent, stupid "polls" of American RC about female clergy, contraception, etc. make me shudder for them, and eventually for us.There are a lot of seriously and sadly confused people out there.

[Nacho]

Like an Orthodox Inquisiton?

Hehe, sounds like a good idea 

I don't know about the "American Left" part of this, but I am concerned that our Roman Catholic cousins will shortly begin further down the path of destruction. All these recent, stupid "polls" of American RC about female clergy, contraception, etc. make me shudder for them, and eventually for us.There are a lot of seriously and sadly confused people out there.

Yea, I'm tired of the demons in the media and the average american idiot in the street dictating their moral relativism on those that actually want to hold to true christian values. If they don't like the teachings of the RC, maybe they should join some modern new age quasi-christian cult than can cater to their changing lifestyles. They would rather tear down 2000 years of christian tradition than to be told their lifestyle is in conflict with the teachings of Christ and the church.

In regards to the gay bishop, this doesn't surprise me because the gay activist tries to claim anyone of any importance in history must have been gay. Lets see,a few I can think of off the top of my head are Alexander the Great, Michelangelo, and Abraham Lincoln & now Jesus. Of course this all happened after breaking up with Mary Magdalene after she bore his two children!  I found this in an article as to what the gay bishop said, ""this man that we follow ... was single as far as we know; who traveled with a bunch of men, although there were lots of women around; who had a disciple who was known as `the one whom Jesus loved'...." LOL... (Cough,wink,wink,cough ) Now he's trying to say he didn't really mean what he obviously was insinuating...

[Ntinos]

Why do gay people really need to become bishops?

[lpap]

What about Holy Ghost, Father, Angels, Satan ? Are they Gays or not ?

What about heaven ? Is there a Gay's heaven or not ?

Who realy knows the heart of man ?

Maybe people that need to identify themselves with someone else are so blind that they think that everyone is totaly described by their own personality.

[Veniamin]

Why do gay people really need to become bishops?

The Episcopalians can't ordain bishops any more than my cat can celebrate the Liturgy.

[Antiochian]

I don't know about the "American Left" part of this, but I am concerned that our Roman Catholic cousins will shortly begin further down the path of destruction. All these recent, stupid "polls" of American RC about female clergy, contraception, etc. make me shudder for them, and eventually for us.There are a lot of seriously and sadly confused people out there.

I guess I'm one of those liberal Christians who happen to agree with greater roles for women in the church and the permitting of contraception.

[jmbejdl]

I guess I'm one of those liberal Christians who happen to agree with greater roles for women in the church and the permitting of contraception.

So do I - to a degree. I agree with permitting contraception so long as it isn't arbortifacient and I agree with women having a role in the Church, perhaps as deaconesses, but not priestesses or female bishops. And I don't think that these are controversial positions for an Orthodox Christian to hold. Are your views more liberal than this?

James

[Anastasios]

I guess I'm one of those liberal Christians who happen to agree with greater roles for women in the church and the permitting of contraception.

I agree that women could have a greater role, but I think the motivation for it now is just political ideology, not a genuine need (where there is need, it just happens!).  But contraception, to me (and I know we have gone over this a million times on this forum, and why I hold my positions is fleshed out in those threads) is just evil.

Anastasios

[Amdetsion]

We have to pray over this matter.

 It is not enough for us (Orthodox) to simply recognize a bad situation.

We are prepared to pray over all things.....the entire human condition.

We all know that this group of people come on the scene from thier beginnings due to huge socio-political problems. The essence of their beginnigs is rought with contempt and confusion and maybe some good intention all rapped up together.

A division of a division from a division......

What else would be expected?

It seems clear to me that some fish are made to swim in fresh water and some in salt water. The problems begin when we try to liberate this by having All the fish swim together.Some fish begin to die off.

I guess we could just mix the salt water with the clear water so that every fish could have some part of his natural enviroment. I do not think that works no matter how idealistic and liberal that might be. Like the scripture teaches 'fresh water and salt water cannot proceed from the same fountain'.

I hope all can understand and get the meaning of my little metaphor?

We can pray.

[desertrose]

Yikes-I liked the praying for him idea.
 After all he is a child of God, same as we are.  Sorry to spoil your fun and I did get a great laugh from reading
your banter back and forth.  (Bracing for a barrage of rotten tomatoes) I am an old wrinkly heterosexual white woman, not at all what is considered a liberal (though I live in So Cal, does that automatically make me liberal?) . I have had a long sucession of gay people in my life who were and are real blessings , there is so much gay-bashing, do we Orthodox have to do it too? That was one of the things that hurt most about being an evangelical  was the endless condemnation of homosexuals. My understanding is that the Orthodox church officially condemns homosexual practices, but not homosexual people. It's OK, You can all say AW,MOM!!! now.
So that ALL will know Christians by their love!
Desertrose

[Amdetsion]

Desertrose

I beleive you may have misunderstood my point.

When I speak of "these groups of people" in my original post; I did not mean this to be refering to "gay" people but to Episcopals generally as a group and how this group of people (episcopals) have a difficult, socio-political begining and so forth. The issue I am putting forth is that of the historical.

I re-read my first post and find that I should have been more specific since the subject is regarding (2) groups of "people".

I do agree with you and your point.

We have love for all of humanity....endless room for forgiveness and mercy.

This is the greatest gift I find in the Orthodox faith which shows itself through the liturgy and the teachings of the Holy Fathers.

We must look to prayer and walk in our lives with the faith of our Fathers. If we do than we will have the strenght to endure the difficult and what we may see as absolutely objectionable life styles and behaviors from people; even from those we love.

Orthodoxy to me is not teaching prude and pomp. We are to me the care takers of humanity.

I find that we can not dismiss Gay, lesbians or HIV victims or drug addicts...or anyone. We must find room in our hearts for all 'people'.

WE are not and will not however condone Gay, lesbian or any other type of lifestyle that is contrary to the teachings of God. WE are to help and care for 'people' who have need of guidance and mercy. This is not in my mind accomplished by putting people with clearly observable behavior problems which contrast with the teachings of Christ, morality or common human descency in positions of any kind of leadership within a community which seeks to observe or aspire to dwell in a Christ centered or moral ideals.
 
To even think of placing someone in this kind of unfortunate circumstance in a visible position within a Christian community or the Holy Church is incomprehensable.

WE can not be so liberally 'kind' that we forsake good for bad.

[desertrose]

Thanks  for the clarification Amdetsion!
Desertrose

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > General Forums > Christian News (Moderator: serb1389) > Topic: Gay Bishop Denies Saying Jesus Was Gay