Over the Rainbow: - Wrestling With Angels
Over the Rainbow: - Wrestling With Angels
Over the Rainbow: - Wrestling With Angels
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eporting, “Today <strong>the</strong>re are two religions in <strong>the</strong> Episcopal Church, one remains faithful to <strong>the</strong><br />
biblical truth and received teachings of <strong>the</strong> Church while <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r rejects <strong>the</strong>m” (Moore, 1999). In<br />
2003 <strong>the</strong> election of a partnered homosexual bishop created fur<strong>the</strong>r turmoil in <strong>the</strong> church. The<br />
2009 General Convention adopted two resolutions that seriously departed from biblical<br />
sexuality by repealing a moratorium on <strong>the</strong> consecration of additional gay bishops, while<br />
opening <strong>the</strong> door to blessing same-sex unions (Walton, 2009).<br />
In August of 2009 <strong>the</strong> Evangelical Lu<strong>the</strong>ran Church in America (ELCA) adopted policies that<br />
were a departure from traditional Christian teaching. “The new policies allow ELCA churches to<br />
give approval to non-marital sexual relationships, both homosexual and heterosexual, and to<br />
ordain persons in such relationships “ (Wisdom, 2009).<br />
Priestly Sexual Abuse Challenges <strong>the</strong> Church<br />
Accusations of priestly pedophilia exploded in <strong>the</strong> Catholic Church in <strong>the</strong> 1980’s. In 1984 a<br />
cardinal was accused of abusing a teen. <strong>Over</strong> <strong>the</strong> next ten years, more than 400 Catholic priests<br />
in North America were accused of molesting children. A church sponsored panel said that “2<br />
percent to 4 percent of Catholic priests over <strong>the</strong> past 30 years may have been guilty of abuse<br />
(AP, 1993). In February of 2002 <strong>the</strong> pedophile priest scandal exploded in Boston, <strong>the</strong> nation’s<br />
fourth largest diocese, when Fa<strong>the</strong>r John Geoghan was accused of molesting more than 130<br />
children over a 30 year period and was sentenced to a 9-10 year prison term .<br />
The dual system of sexuality within <strong>the</strong> Catholic Church created problems in <strong>the</strong><br />
development of a consistent understanding of sexuality. Church leaders for centuries have<br />
been called to celibacy. However seminary training did not adequately address <strong>the</strong> realities of<br />
leading a sexually celibate life. Many Catholic seminaries have a gay subculture. R. Scott<br />
Appleby, professor of history at Notre Dame University, said “People I know quite well have left<br />
<strong>the</strong> seminary ei<strong>the</strong>r in disgust because people are not keeping <strong>the</strong>ir vows, or in alienation<br />
because <strong>the</strong>y’re not gay.” (Sears and Osten, 2003:152)<br />
Joel Mowbray, a practicing Catholic explained,” Male homosexuality is inherently<br />
promiscuous. In a heterosexual relationship, women moderate <strong>the</strong> innate, intense male sex<br />
drive. But in homosexual conduct, <strong>the</strong>re is no such check. In short, gay couples have two<br />
people with male attitudes about sex, which naturally leads to a more permissive view of<br />
sexuality. And when seminaries began filling up with homosexuals – both in terms of<br />
seminarians and in leadership positions – promiscuity inevitably followed “ (Sears and Osten,<br />
2003:152).<br />
<strong>Over</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Rainbow</strong>: The Gay Battle for Social Reorganization of America. 2010<br />
Dr. M. L. Coppock<br />
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