By Paul Marshall May 5, 2004 It is a pretty good rule of thumb that where you find Muslim extremism, Islamist terrorism, and women being sentenced to death by stoning, there you will find Saudi funds and Saudi-trained personnel. One exception to this rule has been Nigeria, but now evidence of Wahabbi mischief is surfacing there as well. Since the governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmed Sani, introduced a draconian version of sharia in 1999, 11 of Nigeria's 36 states have followed suit. Five women have been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, though no punishment has yet been carried out. Thieves have had their hands amputated by court order. One man had his eye removed after accidentally blinding a friend (he could have escaped this by paying 60 camels, but the injured party wasn't interested in the camels). Under these sharia dictates, women are harshly subjugated. In northern Nigeria, they have been forbidden to rent houses and barred from riding motorbikes or traveling in the same vehicles as men. Taxi drivers have been caned for carrying female passengers. Zamfara requires all high-school girls to wear a hijab and bars them from wearing skirts and other "Western" forms of dress. State officials have advocated public flogging of those violating an "Islamic" dress code. Prostitution charges have been leveled at women merely for the crime of being unmarried after the age of 13. Judges in Bauchi State have told women to get married immediately or be sent to prison. One judge ordered four of them to pick out husbands from among the men in the court. Women are at a particular disadvantage in these criminal prosecutions since their testimony usually counts for only half that of a man. Non-Muslims, usually Christians, have become second-class citizens. Their taxes pay for Islamic preachers, while hundreds of churches have been closed by government order. Last week, Sani announced that all "unauthorized" places of worship in Zamfara State would be demolished. Those who exercise their right under the Nigerian constitution to change their religion from Islam are threatened with death, a punishment for apostasy under sharia law. The Catholic and Anglican churches have had to set up protected centers for converts. This spread of radical Islam has also led to riots, mob attacks, and vigilantes, producing the largest death toll in Nigeria since the civil war over Biafra in the 1960s. Over 10,000 people have died in the last four years in sharia-related violence — perhaps over 1,000 in the central states this year alone. Recent months have seen the emergence of more organized militias. In early January, in Yobe State, there was an uprising by a group calling itself the "Taliban," led by a "Mullah Omar," and demanding an Islamic state. It took several hundred troops two weeks to put it down. Foreign groups have been aiding the institutionalization of Islamic law. Saudi, Sudanese, Syrian, and Palestinian representatives appeared with Governor Sani in the days before he announced his plans for sharia. The Jigawa State government has sent Islamic judges for training in Malaysia and Sudan. The government of Katsina State has sent a delegation to Sudan to study its laws. Other states have been offered assistance from some these same countries as well as from Iran and Libya. In January, the Saudi religious and cultural attaché in Nigeria, Sheik Abdul-Aziz, said that his government had been monitoring the implementation of sharia in Nigeria and noted the results "with delight." There is also evidence of infiltration by foreign Islamic radicals. According to some reports, extremists from neighboring Chad were involved in the July 2001 violence in Bauchi State. In November 2001, Nigerian police arrested six Pakistani preachers, accusing them of inciting religious violence in Ogun state. The police have announced that scores of Pakistanis have been arrested in different parts of the country for allegedly fomenting religious trouble since 9/11. Church spokesmen in Plateau State said last month that local Muslim extremists have brought in thousands of mercenaries from Niger and Chad to invade Christian towns and villages. However, despite repeated rumors, there has until this year been little evidence of organized foreign support for violence and domestic terrorism. Now such evidence is appearing. On February 3, the Nigerian government announced that an unnamed Iranian diplomat was arrested on January 23 in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, after he was found taking photographs of Churches, a presidential villa, the defense headquarters, and the Israeli, British, and American embassies. The usually reliable news service Compass Direct reports that one of January's "Taliban" raiders, Muslim cleric Alhaji Sharu, confessed to police that he was a middleman between Nigerian extremists and the Al-Muntada Al-Islami Trust, a Saudi funded "charity" headquartered in Britain. Sharu said that the Trust's money had been used to propagate a Wahabist version of Islam in Nigeria and fund religious violence. Subsequent investigation by Nigeria's police led to "the discovery of financial transactions running into millions of dollars" between Sharu and the Trust's local head, a Sudanese businessman named Muhiddeen Abdullahi. Authorities arrested Abdullahi on February 20, accusing him and the Trust of financing attacks on Christians, including the January Taliban uprising. When authorities released Abdullahi 10 days after his arrest, more than 5,000 Qadiriyya Sufi Muslims, the largest tradition within Nigerian Islam, mounted a protest march. Chanting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Great"), demanded that Wahabbis be banned from the country. Their spokesman, Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, told journalists, "As a matter of urgency, the state government should close the office of Al-Muntada Al-Islami because of its activities which have resulted in religious unrest in Nigeria." If Nigeria's moderate Muslims can call for the rejection of Saudi interference, there is nothing stopping the Nigerian government from doing the same, and little stopping the U.S. government from encouraging it to do so. — Paul Marshall is senior fellow at Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom. He is author of Islam at the Crossroads and God and the Constitution: Christianity and American Politics.

By Georgette Forney Pro-choice marcher switched signs, joined NOEL counter-rally Shirley came to the April 25 pro-choice march in Washington D.C. holding a sign that said "Stand up for Choice." She left with one that said, "I'm Pro-Life." Nobody made her take the new sign. No-one called her names for supporting free access to abortion. Instead, Shirley changed her mind when she saw a small group of Christians affiliated with NOEL (formerly National Organization of Episcopalians for Life) quietly witnessing to the hurt abortion had brought into their own lives. Many carried signs that said, "I regret my abortion," or, "I regret my lost fatherhood." They were there, said Georgette Forney, president of NOEL and a parishoner at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Sewickley, PA, to counter the message that abortion is good for women and society. NOEL's campaign, called "Silent No More Awareness," exists to give those with personal experience of abortion's costs a voice, said Forney. That group includes Forney herself, who had an abortion when she was 16. "There is a lot of talk about rights and choice, but very little attention is given to women who have abortions. I regret my abortion and I know others who feel the same way," she said. Forney estimated that some 250 people participated in the Silent No More Awareness counter-rally during the April 25 pro-choice march. Among them were many Episcopalians. Silent No More Awareness is a joint project of NOEL and Priests for Life, a Roman Catholic organization. Abortion has been a contentious issue in the Episcopal Church. In 1994 the church's 71st General Convention reaffirmed that human life should be honored from inception to death. However, it also referred to abortion as a "right," but only one that should be used in "extreme situations." "We emphatically oppose abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason of mere convenience," states the resolution. At the same time both the national Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Women's Caucus have maintained membership in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), which co-sponsored the April 25 pro-choice march. Among other stands, the RCRC opposes parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion and has fought laws banning partial birth abortions. NOEL, which was founded in 1983, is based in the Anglican Communion Network diocese of Pittsburgh and offers Episcopalians not in agreement with abortion advocacy of the national church a voice in the debate, said Forney. NOEL's is a life-affirming ministry in the Worldwide Anglican Communion. NOEL's mission is to advocate the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death in the Church and society. NOEL's vision is to "stand for the value of every human life as revealed in Scripture and "equip people to develop a biblical response to issues that threaten human life."

By GREG GARRISON Birmingham News staff writer May 7, 2004 The top priest at Birmingham's largest Episcopal Church, who stirred controversy with his strong stance against the denomination's first openly gay bishop, will be leaving this year. The Rev. Paul F.M. Zahl, dean of the 3,800-member Cathedral Church of the Advent, will resign effective July 31 to become president and dean of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa., said Vice Dean John Harper. Harper will become interim dean of the cathedral on Aug. 1, he said. Zahl plans to take the month of July as vacation, Harper said. Last year, Zahl repeatedly made headlines as one of the leaders of a conservative movement in the Episcopal Church that opposes same-sex unions. Zahl was one of several theologians who signed a position paper saying the Episcopal Church General Convention has no authority to approve blessings for same-sex couples. When the convention approved the Rev. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the denomination's first openly gay bishop, Zahl flew a black flag on the front of the cathedral on 20th Street in downtown Birmingham. Zahl also led a delegation of priests from the Advent last year to a meeting of conservative leaders in Dallas to protest the approval of Robinson. Zahl was traveling Thursday when the church executive committee learned of his decision, and was unavailable for comment. In a previous interview, he said he was stung by the harsh reaction from some members of his congregation who criticized his leadership after the fallout from the Robinson decision. But he had loyal supporters as well. "Paul has been an inspiration and a friend for all of us who have worked with him," Harper said. "He lives the Gospel message of grace and we have experienced graciousness from him. We shall miss him." Zahl, who has a doctorate in theology from the University of Tubingen in Germany, has written several books, including "The First Christian: Universal Truth in the Teachings of Jesus," and "Five Women of the English Reformation." Zahl was one of 21 international theologians appointed by his longtime friend, former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, to serve on the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission. Zahl graduated from Harvard University in 1972 with a degree in classics and philosophy, received a master's degree from the University of Nottingham and a diploma in pastoral studies from St. John's Theological College in Nottingham. Zahl and his wife, Mary, have three children. He was previously rector of churches in Scarborough, N.Y., and Charleston, S.C., and curate of Grace Church in New York City.

By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent THE TIMES The installation of Jeffrey John as Dean of St Albans has been brought forward by three months as a signal of the cathedral's support for the celibate gay clergyman at the centre of the Church of England debate over homosexuality. Opposition in the St Albans diocese to Dr John, currently canon theologian at Southwark, has been gathering force and evangelicals have been meeting to plan a strategy to force his withdrawal, as they did from Reading last year. The move of the installation service at St Albans to July from October is an indication that liberals in the Anglican Church are no longer prepared to allow themselves to be held to ransom by their more conservative brethren. Senior clergy in the St Albans diocese want to avoid a repetition of what happened in the Oxford diocese, where evangelicals mounted a successful international campaign against the appointment of Dr John, an open but abstinent homosexual, as Bishop of Reading. Dr John was persuaded to stand down by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent THE TELEGRAPH 7/05/2004 A Church in Wales clergyman has become the first divorced person in Britain to be appointed an Anglican bishop. The Ven Anthony Crockett, the Archdeacon of Carmarthen, has been named as the next Bishop of Bangor following a protracted and controversial selection process. The Most Rev Barry Morgan, who succeeded Dr Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Wales, said that the 58-year-old archdeacon was the unanimous choice of the Church's Bench of Bishops. But a number of clergy in the diocese have expressed anger over the decision, saying that their wishes had been ignored, and the majority of canons at Bangor cathedral have protested to the Archbishop. For the first time in the Church in Wales's history, an electoral college failed to agree on a candidate by the necessary two-thirds majority when it met behind in March. The Rev Geraint ap Iorwerth, the rector of Pennal, said: "There will be some who will stay away from his consecration, very definitely." He said that Mr Crockett's marital history did not concern him personally, but it did worry many people in the diocese. Archdeacon Crockett, 58, who separated from his first wife in 1985 and remarried in 1999, said he was "shocked and amazed" when he was asked to take up the post. The Rev David Holloway, a leading evangelical, said the appointment was yet another example of the Church's liberal leadership being out of step with the vast majority of Anglicans across the world. Mr Holloway, the vicar of Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, said: "To have a divorced and remarried bishop is, sadly, all of a piece with the move away from Biblical norms on sexual morality."

By Jean Torkelson Rocky Mountain News May 5, 2004 Episcopal Bishop Rob O'Neill said Tuesday he plans to meet this week with the Rev. Bonnie Spencer to find out what kind of same-sex event she celebrated with her partner two weeks ago. "Details are not clear to me," said O'Neill, who was out of town when the event took place at Good Shepherd Church in Centennial. The bishop has not authorized same-sex blessings in Colorado. Spencer, an assistant rector at the parish, has denied that's what took place. A regional church official, the Rev. Lou Blanchard, described it as a party to celebrate the couple's relationship. The Episcopal Church USA allows dioceses to develop same-sex blessings. While O'Neill supports same-sex issues, he promised conservatives he would not act while the issue is being studied by a diocesan task force. Nevertheless, conservatives see the event at Good Shepherd as another sign the Episcopal Church has broken from its traditional roots and are threatening to walk unless O'Neill takes action. The Rev. Don Armstrong, of Colorado Springs, said he predicts that about seven parishes will seek to reorganize under an alternative Episcopal bishop unless O'Neill clamps down on same-sex issues. Said O'Neill: "As I told Don (Armstrong) last week, what he can always expect is a measured and appropriate response. We will take it a step at a time." Whatever took place at Good Shepherd, O'Neill said the matter will be referred to the diocese's standing committee, the decision-making arm of the diocese, as well as the same-sex task force. O'Neill shrugged off the conservatives' charge that the diocese is in a precarious position, although he acknowledged that this year's budget has been adjusted to reflect a $350,000 shortfall. "People are not leaving the Episcopal Church in droves," he said. "Some parishes and dioceses are showing increases, and some are struggling."

Testing the Faith: Christian churches running on empty? Research indicates number of Americans who don't attend services nearly doubling May 6, 2004 © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Despite a 15 percent rise in the U.S. population, a new survey shows the number of Americans who don't go to church has nearly doubled in the past 13 years, rising from 39 million to 75 million. The report by the Barna Group, a California-based consulting firm following trends related to faith, culture and leadership in the country, says the percentage of adults that is "unchurched" has risen from 21 percent in 1991 to 34 percent today. The group defines "unchurched" as not having attended a Christian church service — other than for holiday services like Christmas or Easter, or for special events such as a wedding or funeral — at any time in the past six months. The annual church-attendance tracking survey is based on telephone interviews with a nationwide random sample of 1,014 adults conducted in late January and early February of this year with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. In a demographic breakdown, the survey revealed four dimensions: Men dominate the ranks of the unchurched. Although they comprise slightly less than half of the national population, men constitute 55 percent of the unchurched, and they represent only 38 percent of the public which refers to itself as "born again." The unchurched are younger than the norm. The median age of U.S. adults is 43, but it's just 38 among the unchurched. Unchurched people are more likely than others to be single and to never have been married. Whereas one-quarter of American adults (26 percent) are single-never-married, nearly two-fifths of the unchurched fit that definition (37 percent). The unchurched are also attracted to the coastal regions of the country. Although just four out of ten adults (42 percent) live in the Northeast or West, more than half of the unchurched (51 percent) live there. In fact, the two most populous states in the nation — California and New York — contain 18 percent of the nation's residents, but one-quarter of its unchurched adults (23 percent). The study also found significant religious differences when comparing churchgoers to non-churchgoers. In a typical week, unchurched people are less likely than all adults to read the Bible (19 percent compared to 44 percent) and to pray (63 percent vs. 83 percent), and they are less likely to have embraced Jesus Christ as their savior. On a surprising note, while about half of the churched population has accepted Jesus as their savior, one of every six unchurched adults (17 percent) has done so as well. Interestingly, says the report, if the minority of unchurched adults who are born again were connected to a church, the resulting increase would be nearly 13 million new people — more than have joined the nation's churches in the past decade combined. Among the theological differences uncovered were that unchurched adults are less likely than others to believe the Bible is accurate, that Jesus was sinless, that Satan is real, that salvation is through the grace of God, and that God is the creator and present-day ruler of the universe. "The unchurched are more likely than others to be somewhat isolated from the mainstream activities of the society in which they live," explained author and researcher George Barna. "They see themselves as outsiders and often take refuge in that status. Evidence of this arms-length approach to life, beyond their refusal to participate in church life, includes lower levels of voter registration, less money donated to non-profit organizations, fewer non-profits supported, lower levels of media usage, and less engagement in community service activities." Additional distinguishing characteristics include the independence of the unchurched and what Barna calls their non-committal nature. "You can see this emotional and intellectual distancing of themselves through their more moderate ideology, their more ambiguous theological perspectives, a lower likelihood of embracing terms used to describe oneself (such as 'generous,' 'friendly' and 'deeply spiritual'), a substantially lower level of self-professed commitment to their faith of choice, and their rejection of the idea of responsibility for nurturing other people's faith," he said.

Inaugural Service Held at St. James Anglican Church 5/6/2004 A large part of the congregation from St. James Episcopal Church walked away from the parish property seeking to distance themselves from ECUSA, its movement away from Scripture and Tradition and the Oklahoma Bishop. The Bishop of Oklahoma, Robert Moody voted for the election of Gene Robinson, the option for individual diocese to initiate same sex blessings, and currently has as a deacon under his authority in the diocese that is a transexual from male to female. Over 100 faithful souls attended the first service held by St. James Anglican Church in South Oklahoma City on May 2nd. The congregation meets each Sunday at 11:45 a.m. in the chapel at Southern Hills Baptist Church, 8601 South Pennsylvania, in Oklahoma City. The service was Morning Prayer, Rite II, led by David Haener. Don Gumm and the youth group provided music. After the service, the entire congregation gathered for a group portrait. The congregation encompasses all age groups, from tiny babies to the '80s and above! "This whole endeavor has been a leap of faith by a church family that has been hurting for some time," said Don Gumm, St. James Anglican's senior warden. He continued, "But 116 faithful Anglicans gathered for worship and prayers to support each other and the whole Anglican Communion." Arrangements are in the works for visiting priests to celebrate the eucharist on a regular basis and a plan is being formulated to invite Episcopal oversight by an Anglican bishop. Morning Prayer will be held until clergy can be called to celebrate Eucharist and services are open to all.

Orthodox Anglicans call for greater "clarity and honesty" in same-sex debate Essentials Canada says motion will be a "plain endorsement" of same-sex blessings May 5, 2004 TORONTO, CANADA — Canada's largest orthodox Anglican coalition is calling on church leaders to embrace "clarity and honesty" in the debate at the church's General Synod at the end of May regarding the blessing of same-sex unions. In a written statement, the governing council of Anglican Essentials Canada, a coalition of the nation's three main orthodox groups, says it believes that Anglican Church officials are trying to downplay the meaning and importance of a controversial motion surrounding the blessing of same-sex unions. "Our greatest concern lies with statements from our national church claiming that passage of this motion does not indicate an endorsement of the blessing of same-sex unions," the statement reads. The same-sex motion asks the governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada to state that individual dioceses have the power to create marriage-like blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. "In our view, General Synod can only affirm that which it endorses. Accordingly, we expect Canadian Anglicans will rightly see passage of this motion as a plain endorsement of same-sex blessings. This is primarily a question of Christian ethics and morals. Efforts to reframe the issue as one of institutional jurisdiction are at best unhelpful, and could serve to deepen the disenfranchisement many Anglicans experience with their national church." "We call upon our national leaders to embrace a spirit of candor and transparency surrounding this issue and the debate, in plain and genuine language," adding that church leaders needed to acknowledge the "obvious and well-documented impact" on the future of the national church and the 77-million strong Anglican Communion. The worldwide Anglican Communion has been in turmoil since June 2002, when the governing body of the Vancouver-based Diocese of New Westminster voted by a 62-per-cent majority to become the first in the world to develop a blessing ceremony for same-sex unions. In August 2003, the U.S. branch of the church narrowly approved the ordination of an openly gay man as Bishop. Both decisions repudiated a 1998 resolution of all 700 bishops in the communion, who voted by a nine-to-one majority against same-sex blessing or ordinations. In October 2003, the world's 38 Anglican national leaders said the decision in New Westminster was contributing to a "tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level." The Canadian and U.S. churches jointly represent about 4 percent of the worldwide communion. Contact: Chris Hawley, (604) 729-7557 media@anglicanessentials.org For more information, browse to: http://www.forsuchatime.ca/ http://www.anglicanessentials.org/ Statement from The Essentials Council of the Anglican Church of Canada May 5, 2004 Many members of our church have been voicing their views recently regarding the upcoming debate over the blessing of same-sex unions, to take place at this month's General Synod. Much of this discussion involves the motion drafted by the Council of General Synod, which, simply put, states that individual dioceses have the power to bless same-sex unions. The motion, and the General Synod process surrounding its debate, has generated considerable controversy in recent weeks. Some have criticized the motion because it appears vague and lacks substance. Others believe these blessings are de facto marriages and ought to be viewed as such. Others have expressed alarm that only two hours of open debate over the eight-day meeting have been allotted to consider the matter. These and other criticisms are indeed legitimate. But as a Council, our greatest concern lies with statements from our national church claiming that passage of this motion is not an endorsement of the blessing of same-sex unions. The intention seems to be to soften and minimize the implications of this decision and its obvious and well-documented impact on the future of our church, nationally and worldwide. In our view, and in the view of many Canadian Anglicans, General Synod can only affirm that which it endorses. Accordingly, we expect Canadian Anglicans will rightly see passage of this motion as a plain endorsement of same-sex blessings. It is also our view that this is primarily a question of Christian ethics and morals. Efforts to reframe the issue as one of institutional jurisdiction are at best unhelpful, and could serve to deepen the disenfranchisement many Anglicans experience with their national church. It is entirely possible that our national church has been preoccupied with this particular issue for decades precisely because it cannot bring itself to address the critical questions directly. We call upon our national leaders to embrace a spirit of candor and transparency surrounding this issue and the debate, in plain and genuine language. Whatever the outcome, let us not minimize the depth and seriousness of the issue, but face it with a renewed sense of faith and integrity. The Essentials Council, Anglican Church of Canada

Statement from the Council of Church Society: We the Council of Church Society are shocked and appalled by the recent appointment of Canon Jeffrey John to be Dean of St. Albans. Mr John's open advocacy of same-sex sexual activity flies in the face of the clear teaching of the Bible and the Church of England and therefore ought to exclude him from ministerial office. We are astonished that Archbishop Rowan Williams has apparently failed to oppose the appointment of a clergyman who so shamelessly flouts the teaching of Scripture that sexual activity should be confined to a man and a woman in marriage. We therefore call on Archbishop Williams to urge Dr John to resign. The text of a letter sent to the Archbishop is attached. For further information please contact: Revd George Curry (0191-273-4680 / 0775-287-2550) Chairman of Council Mr Duncan Boyd (020-7289-62650) Council member and General Synod Representative for London Diocese Revd David Phillip (01923-235111 / 07801-265049) General Secretary and General Synod Representative for St. Alban's Diocese Church Society exists to uphold biblical teaching and to promote and defend the character of the Church of England as a reformed and national Church. TEXT OF LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY 4th May 2004 The Most Rev & Rt Hon The Archbishop of Canterbury Lambeth Palace London SE1 7JU Dear Dr Williams, We the Council of Church Society are profoundly shocked that you have permitted Dr Jeffrey John to be Dean of the Cathedral of St. Albans. We had understood that after the appointment of Gene Robinson you had called for a moratorium on such appointments until the Lambeth Commission has conducted its work. We therefore see it as deeply hypocritical that you and the Bishop of St. Albans have failed to oppose the appointment as Dean of a man who openly advocates same-sex sexual activity. The clear teaching of both Scripture and the Church of England is that sexual activity should be confined to a man and a woman within marriage. Anyone who teaches to the contrary is clearly unfit for ministerial office in this Church. We therefore call on you to urge Dr John to resign. Yours sincerely, David Phillips (Revd) on behalf of the Council of Church Society

ST BBC News Gay Church of England cleric Jeffrey John has been given the backing of St Albans Cathedral where he has been appointed as the new dean. A group of evangelicals had called for Dr John to withdraw his acceptance. But their hopes were dealt a blow on Tuesday when the cathedral's chapter said it welcomed the appointment and had received messages of support. Dr John was forced to withdraw his acceptance for the post of suffragan Bishop of Reading last year. Canon Stephen Lake, sub-dean and acting dean at St Albans, said: "Jeffrey John brings to the abbey a track record of scholarship and preaching, and a commitment to mission." Show of support "The support for Jeffrey John from the cathedral chapter and congregation is clear. The vast majority of the congregation have shown their support for the appointment and are looking forward to his installation and ministry here." Dr John, who is gay but celibate, is currently canon theologian at Southwark Cathedral. He will be installed as Dean of St Albans on 2 July. He withdrew his acceptance of the post of suffragan Bishop of Reading last summer after a storm of protest from conservatives in the Church of England. © BBC MMIV

May 3, 2004 On August 5, 2003, the Episcopal Church USA abandoned the clear teaching of Holy Scripture as well as the faith and order of Anglicanism. Since that time events have unfolded which prove that ECUSA has lost its moral compass. Recently we have seen a juxtaposition of significant incidents that illustrate ECUSA's continued slide into a secularized religion scarcely resembling the spiritual and moral foundation upon which Christ formed His Church. On April 25, 2004 the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) sponsored the "March for Women's Lives" on the Mall in Washington, DC. One of the primary purposes of RCRC outlined in its mission statement is support of the constitutional right to abortion, and participants carried signs with slogans demeaning the sanctity of life in a chilling fashion. Both the Episcopal Church USA and the Episcopal Women's Caucus are members of RCRC and were listed as co-sponsoring organizations for the event. Episcopal News Service (ENS) ran a story applauding participation by individual Episcopalians, "Also marching behind the Episcopal Church banner were the Rev. Margaret Rose, director of the Episcopal Church Office of Women's Ministries; Executive Council members Louie Crew and John Vanderstar; long-time women's rights activist and General Convention deputy Marge Christie; and Maureen Shea, director of the Government Relations Office." Under the banner of "justice", the Episcopal Church's official news service justifies, in fact blesses, participation in a blatant pro-abortion activist rally. Also over last weekend, Otis Charles, the 78-year old retired bishop of Utah and former president of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., "married" his homosexual partner Felipe Sanchez Paris. The so called "wedding ceremony" was held before several hundred people at St. Gregory's of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Mr. Paris had been married and divorced four times previously. The bishop had been married 42 years and fathered five children before reaching the conclusion he was gay in 1976. He did not make a public announcement until after his retirement in 1993, and he and his wife divorced shortly after that. According to news accounts, the bishop was "guided by his belief that all human beings are called upon to live as fully as they can." These accounts also describe details of the 2 hour and 45 minute service, depicting theatrics in no way reminiscent of the sacramental nature of marriage. The news reports failed to note that marriage is a holy institution ordained by God, a sacramental union of a man and a woman. According to Scriptural standards, anything else is mockery. For several weeks, CLAIMING THE BLESSING has been publicizing a event entitled, "It's All About Love: A Celebration of Music, Faith and Equality" scheduled for May 2, 2004 at All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena. The event is billed as a benefit for CLAIMING THE BLESSING, "a national collaborative of organizations that advocate for gay rights in the church and same-sex marriage". "It's All About Love" also boasts a bevy of stars gathered to honor special guest V. Gene Robinson, and tickets range in price from a modest $100 - $200 for open seating to higher levels of reserved seating: Bronze ($1000), Silver ($2500) and Gold ($5000). For those willing to "benefit" CLAIMING THE BLESSING with a $10,000 donation, the prize is two tickets at a private dinner with V. Gene Robinson. The first and obvious problem is interaction with a bishop for sale—no matter how noble a cause might be, selling access to a bishop is reprehensible. A more subtle but perhaps more disturbing concern, however, is the fundraiser itself. Why does CLAIMING THE BLESSING need such massive funds? On their website, we read: "Our initial commitment was obtaining approval of a liturgical blessing of the faithful, monogamous relationship between two adults of any gender at General Convention 2003. The results were history making, and CLAIMING THE BLESSING was instrumental in making that history happen: Resolution C051 was passed, recognizing for the first time that "local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions." Gene Robinson was confirmed by General Convention and consecrated Bishop Coadjutor in the Diocese of New Hampshire: the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. What CLAIMING THE BLESSING offers is an alternative to those presuming to speak for Christian values - an alternative desperately needed as the Religious Right responds not only to General Convention 2003 but to the recent decisions by the civil courts in Texas and Massachusetts and to President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage." from CLAIMING THE BLESSING website Note that this is CLAIM THE BLESSING's initial commitment. The word "initial" begs the question, "what's next?" Did the organization not succeed in its goals at General Convention 2003? Was not their very raison d'être fulfilled? We see a hint of the answer on the website: "There is much reason to rejoice - and much hard work left to do. Perhaps the greatest indicator of how much we have achieved is how mobilized our opposition has become: they are well financed, well organized and well focused. Never has CLAIMING THE BLESSING's organized, recognized progressive collaborative voice been more important." from CLAIMING THE BLESSING website Clearly the work of CLAIMING THE BLESSING has only begun, and it is essential that we understand that sexuality is only the presenting problem—the real issue is the authority of Scripture as the foundation of Christian theology and doctrine. For orthodox Christian Anglicans, these three events illustrate unequivocally that we face an unparalleled attack on the sacrament and sanctity of life and marriage in both civil and religious arenas. Those involved with these incidents would claim they uphold marriage, family and morality. The distinction lies in definition and interpretation. As Susan Russell, Executive Director of CLAIMING THE BLESSING, said about Scripture, there is a "crucial difference between contradicting God's revelation and expanding our understanding of God's revelation." From the AAC perspective, if revisionists succeed in altering or destroying the traditional theology of sexuality, marriage and family, we stand to lose all truth, for the final target will be the salvation message itself. As Bishop Ingham of Canada has predicted, the horizon holds a not too distant battleground centered on the exclusivity of Christianity—is Jesus truly the way, the truth and the life, or will He be reduced to "one of the ways" to fulfillment and self-actualization? We hope and pray that the Lambeth Commission and the Primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion will consider the often unseen and rarely spoken goals of revisionism and their threat to morality.