A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

Liberalism and Neo-Orthodoxy
Patterns of Sexuality in Family Life.” The report stated: “It
is our conclusion that by suppressing our sexuality and by
condemning all sex which occurs outside of traditional
marriage, the church has thereby obstructed a vitally
important means for persons to know and celebrate their
relatedness to God.” The presiding bishop of the
Episcopal Church, Edmund Lee Browning, praised the
Newark Diocese for being “at the cutting edge” of church
issues, although he did not officially endorse the report. 221
In 1989, John Spong, bishop of the Newark Episcopal
Diocese, ordained J. Robert Williams, a confessed practicing
homosexual, as a priest. At the time, Williams had
lived with a male companion for four years. Spong said,
“We need to be honest. We have gay priests in every diocese.”
222 Six weeks after his ordination, Williams stated
publicly, “Monogamy is as unnatural as celibacy. It is
crazy to hold up this ideal.” He also advised the famous
Roman Catholic nun Mother Teresa to get a lover and
thereby improve herself. 223
In 1988, the United Church of Canada, that country’s
largest Protestant denomination, agreed to allow the ordination
of practicing homosexuals. It affirmed the right of
church membership “regardless of sexual orientation”
and the right of all church members to “be considered eligible”
for ordination. 224
In 1989, in a poll of the Presbyterian Church in the
U.S.A., 50 percent of the pastors and 56 percent of the
specialized clergy said the Bible teaches that it is possible
to be a Christian and engage in homosexual activities. 225
In 1998 and 1999, controversy erupted in the United
Methodist Church, as some ministers performed “marriage”
and “blessing” ceremonies for homosexuals. On
197