Contagion: International Push for Same-Sex Blessings Spreads (AAC)

from Stand Firm by Matt Kennedy 

When an infectious disease is diagnosed incorrectly it is treated incorrectly. This is the Anglican Communion. The decision not to exercise Communion discipline from the start has brought us to this point. The decisions taken by this man and influenced by these guys and facilitated by the rest of us, to view the conflict over same sex sexual behavior as an in-house inter-Communion debate rather than a desperate struggle against an invasive and aggressive death-dealing contagion has brought us to this place. Like yeast, like gangrene, this heresy is spreading fast. Who will stop it?

Like a fast spreading virus, the recognition of same-sex unions is spanning the Anglican Communion. Events over the past three months suggest that the lack of consequences for violating the Communion's moratorium on same-sex blessings have emboldened dioceses and provinces to expand or begin the practice.

In North America, some dioceses have approved and expanded same-sex blessings. In July, Canadian Bishop John Chapman began allowing parishes in the Diocese of Ottawa to perform same-sex blessings contingent on a written request to him and written permission for each instance. Previously, only one parish had permission "to bless permanent, intimate and loving couples of the same gender, civilly married" as a way to "test the Spirit."

Eight Canadian dioceses permit the blessing of same-sex unions: New Westminster, Montreal, Niagara, Huron, Ottawa, British Columbia, Toronto, and Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The Anglican Church of Canada's General Synod did not legislatively approve the blessing of same-sex unions at their last meeting in 2010. Instead, it published a report on sexual discernment that summarized the various discussions that took place at synod. The report acknowledged that blessings do occur as part of "the continuing commitment to develop generous pastoral responses" to gays and lesbians. Canadian Archbishop Fred Hiltz offered these actions as proof that the province was still exercising "gracious restraint." The official word from the Anglican Communion Office was that "Canada has not formally breached the moratoria," according to spokesperson Jan Butter...more