Message from Bishop David Anderson  Bishop Anderson Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When the Muslim Ottoman Turks were pounding at the gates of Vienna in 1529 and again in 1683, Christianity and Euro-Western civilization hung in the balance. Beginning with the first attacks in 1529, there were almost one hundred and fifty years of repeated assaults by the Turks. Those who practice an orthodox and biblically-based Christianity today must feel something like those in Vienna, with the enemy constantly hammering at them. Western culture today seems to be running headlong in the direction of Franz Geffels: The relief of Vienna 1683 either polytheism or materialism, eager to throw overboard everything that has held the culture together for a thousand years. Those who are orthodox in their faith seemingly have to fight against government hostility to religion, inroads by Islam, polytheists who are often within their own church, and those who would impose "fairness and justice" in all things sexual (read homosexual marriage) and shut down and punish any who disagree. The assault of Islam today, no longer brought by Ottoman armies, is in the guise of trying to out-birth, repopulate and reshape Europe into a familiar home resembling the Middle East, where Christians and Jews are second class citizens, churches are suppressed, justice only comes to the Muslim, and women are chattel. One is tempted to think that if Europe and the West see this coming and don't stop it, they deserve the servitude that Islam will bring; but in fact there is a shortage of leaders with vision and personal force and character to actually fight back. It is ironic that the progressives and liberals who are eager to embrace the novelty of Islam might well be the first victims of it, were it to succeed, and I pray that it doesn't.

The assault of the gay and lesbian proponents, who are miniscule in actual number, but vigorously supported by the media, well organized, and shrill and vocal about how they will punish corporations and sponsors who stand in their way, has already "convinced" even many conservative organizations that sexual morality doesn't matter, as long as nothing is withheld from the homosexual justice agenda. It is with great sadness that I received word that President Obama has come out finally in favor of homosexual marriage. Based on his uber liberalism, I knew he had to hold this position, but thought that practical politics might hold him back from announcing it openly. With a little help from his Vice President, Obama made a coldly calculated assessment and decided now was the time to turn the lights on. He must believe that, while he will offend many of the African American Baptist and independent churches, he will still hold onto their votes due to race. He has already offended many Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants over his attacks on religion and faith, especially with the recent rules which force church organizations to provide contraceptives as part of the employer insurance package in violation of their beliefs, even when no-contraception is a long-held and deeply embedded tenet. His reasoning may be that it is imperative that he keep people's minds off of the economy, and if stirring the gay-marriage pot does that for him, so much the better. The group that coalesced to produce the Manhattan Declaration (and yes, I was at their launch in Manhattan and immediately signed it) has released information that is useful in the argument for traditional one-man-one-woman marriage. It is also important to note that North Carolina just embedded in their state constitution a definition of marriage as one-man-one-woman, even though it was already spelled out in state law. They wanted to make it hard for some activist judge to overturn it. Naturally, the TEC bishops of the three North Carolina Episcopal dioceses came out against the amendment, since the entire top leadership of TEC amounts to a lobby group for gay and lesbian causes. North Carolinians seemed more ready to listen to 93-yr-old Billy Graham, as they voted decisively in favor of the amendment. On the international Anglican scene, there is more bad news from England. The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for nominating the next Archbishop of Canterbury will have Archbishop Barry Morgan of Wales as one of its members. The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon, also will sit on the CNC ex officio. There has been talk of the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu and Bishop Richard Chartres of London being considered for the Archbishop of Canterbury spot. Both are considered orthodox, but with Sentamu's outspoken opposition to the proposed government endorsement of homosexual accommodation, some liberals style themselves "ABY", that is, anybody but York. With this latest addition to the committee, there is a certain unease that the wrong people will be making the decision about the final nomination for Canterbury. Why is it that a global communion, most of which has no connection to the former British Empire, or even to the Commonwealth, has to sit by while an "in" group in the UK nominates the next head of the entire Anglican Communion? It may well be that the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) and those allied to the 2008 GAFCON Jerusalem Declaration will have to continue organizing as a body within the Anglican Communion, and create their own organizations and bodies which they may rely on for leadership and direction without being bogged down by the games that the Church of England still likes to play. Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus, +David The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson President & CEO, American Anglican Council