Commission at odds with church on same sex unions

Adam Kula’s report (February 27) does Irish Anglicans a huge service when he flags up the unhelpful and controversial comment of the Church of Ireland’s ‘Church and Society Commission’ on same sex marriage.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Mar 2020, 14:41 BST
Updated 7th Mar 2020, 14:51 BST
There may be huge merit in allowing the bible to speak for itself on moral questionsThere may be huge merit in allowing the bible to speak for itself on moral questions
There may be huge merit in allowing the bible to speak for itself on moral questions

(The article can be read here: ‘Same-sex marriage: Church of Ireland body declares gay people should be able to wed’)

It might be tempting to imagine that the commission team have sought a form of compromise, with the judicious use of words being applied in a measured and diplomatic manner. In reality the response of the commission seems clearly at variance with the official position of the church, as outlined in comment from Rev Anderson (‘Gay union stance makes no sense,’ March 4).

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Bishop Kenneth Kearon is no stranger to controversy, and broke ranks with many clerical colleagues in expressing support for Repeal of the Eighth Amendment. Repeal opened up the possibility of unrestricted abortion in the Republic of Ireland, and current levels of abortion may be moving towards horrific English statistics.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

There may be huge merit in allowing the bible to speak for itself on moral questions, and not letting potentially blinkered or biased church bodies or bishops obscure God’s plain words of truth.

‘Abortion-Open Your Mouth for the Dumb’ was written by the present Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Australia. The truth about the incompatibility of abortion with the biblical faith is laid bare in this short pamphlet.

There was a frenzied media storm of interest last autumn in the Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh Diocese; which saw Bishop Ferran Glenfield of Gafcon (the conservative biblical Anglicans) and Archdeacon Isaac Hanna of Sligo, in the media spotlight.

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Should the words of liberal commentators, on both marriage and abortion, be subjected to the same level of scrutiny as those of Gafcon supporters and conservatives? ‘Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander’, in spite of what gender and moral revisionists in the liberal wing of the Church of Ireland might care to imagine.

James Hardy, Belfast BT5