PBS Gay Marriage Debate featuring ECUSA Bishop Robinson and Evangelical Leader

Cautious Optimism for Jan. 27

by Louis Victor Priebe Washington Correspondent

WASH., DC,  Jan. 13 An upcoming Public Broadcasting System (PBS)  program featuring a debate on gay marriage with ECUSA gay Bishop Gene  Robinson taking the pro  position was assessed by a panel of concerned  Christians last week at the National Press Club.  Participants concluded  that, with cautious optimism, the program, narrated by Bryant Gumbel,  could be expected to reflect a balanced and fair assessment of the  controversial subject.   

The January 27 program is scheduled to air at 9:00 pm EST on local PBS  affiliates and to feature excerpts from a debate taped on January 4 at  historic Christ Church in Philadelphia, founded in 1695 and site of  Benjamin Franklin’s grave.  The debate was between newly elected  homosexual ECUSA Bishop Vickie Eugene Robinson and Dr. Bob Wenz, vice  president for National Ministries of the National Association of  Evangelicals.

Dr. Wenz reported that the hour-long program, Flashpoints USA, will  include three segments on the national motto One Nation Under God,  public display of the Ten Commandments and gay marriage. The other  segments were taped in Philadelphia at nearby Independence Hall  featuring Alabama Judge Roy Moore and Constitution Hall.  These  religious issues are certain to be raised during the 2004 Presidential  campaign, in the debate over the Federal Marriage Amendment Act and in  prominent court tests.

During the fast-moving 25-minute taping, Dr. Wenz said he was able to  make three important points: Homosexual sex is a counterfeit of what  God intended for human sexuality Homosexual behavior is outside of God’s  created order for procreation Marriage is a sacred institution between a  man and a woman, ordained by Almighty God and not to be altered

Robinson, Dr. Wenz reported, maintained the deviant liberal position  that the Bible is always open to interpretation by each generation.  Robinson studiously evaded such central topics as the nature homosexual  behavior with regard to actual practices and their consequences.   Dr. Wenz observed that If you are not truly objective, you can come up with  any conclusion you want depending on your revisionist bias at the outset  of an analysis.

Dr. Wenz said that he sought to convey what Biblically faithful  Christians are for, more than what we are against.  He underscored  that God’s word is definitive on the subject on homosexuality and that  homosexual behavior affronts reason and God’s intended role for humankind.

The assessing panel meeting at Washington’ s eminent National Press Club  included Rev. Martin H. Granger, president of Faith in the Family  International, Rev. Ralph Weitz, a pastor at Immanuel Bible Church in  Springfield, Virginia, Rev. Earle Fox, founder and president of Emmaus  Ministries and Allan D. Dobras, a diversely published Christian  researcher and author. They had initially expressed skepticism at the  hands of moderator Gumbel, whose broadcasting career has placed him in  an adversarial relationship with many biblical positions.

There’s no question about it, Dr. Wenz observed, Robinson is being  positioned as the national ˜gay Bishop™ spokesman, not just the  Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire. He said tolerance of anyone’s  behavior   regardless of its morality or its consequences  has  become the supreme value in the religion of revisionist religious  figures who advocate conformity to the secular culture.

Many questions were left unasked in Philadelphia due to limited time.  A transcript of the entire proceedings will be provided.  The assessment  panel’s participants said they hoped ˜set-ups™ for questions wouldn’t  reflect liberal bias and that editing would not juxtapose altered  questions with responses.

The group concluded that the macro issue being debated was Biblical  veracity and authority and that gay ordination and marriage were subsets  to it.   Participants concluded that, despite ECUSA™s dramatically  declining membership, what the denomination does has an important impact  on contemporary culture and all of Christendom.  The PBS program, they  felt, should help enlighten people on the importance of the topic.

Dr. Wenz had entered the debate well-prepared with Ten Principal  Messages as talking points. Although he did not have time to make all of  these points, they follow this article to help expand and amplify  important topics related to the issue of gay marriage , ordination and  other issues relevant to homosexuality.

Dr. Wenz said he plans to author an article entitled If I Were Your  Pastor focusing on Robinson’s behavior and his divisive role in the  Christian community and advising repentance and return to Biblical  standards.

Website for the National Association of Evangelicals is http://www.nae.net