Welby Offers Dual Approaches To Human Sexuality

With conviction, Welby wrote: “I write therefore to affirm that the validity of the resolution passed at the Lambeth Conference 1998, 1:10 is not in doubt and that whole resolution is still in existence. Indeed, the Call on Human Dignity made clear this is the case, as the resolution is quoted from three times in the paragraph 2.3 of the Call on Human Dignity.”

“For them, to question this teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack,” Welby said. “For many churches to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.”

But then he said this, drawing a parallel to the discernment of provinces like The Episcopal Church which he said had reached a different conclusion on human sexuality. “They are not careless about scripture. They do not reject Christ. But they have come to a different view on sexuality after long prayer, deep study and reflection on understandings of human nature,” Welby said. “For these churches not to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.”

But the point is they are careless about Scripture, rejecting the plain teaching that people who engage in homosexual behavior “will not inherit the Kingdom”, and in doing so they do reject Christ, because it was Jesus himself who affirmed Genesis by declaring “male and female made he them” making it very clear that no other sexual option existed. Welby went further to say not to change traditional teaching challenges their existence.

Their existence! That’s odd; TEC’s very existence was challenged by believing, affirming and practicing homosexual behavior resulting in more than 100,000 Episcopalians leaving the Episcopal Church and forming the Anglican Church in North America.

Nothing positive has come forth from TEC from the moment V. Gene Robinson a self-avowed homosexual was consecrated bishop in 2003 in the diocese of New Hampshire. Nothing. TEC has been on a downhill skid ever since, and if the demographic projections are correct the church will cease to exist by 2040, if not earlier. Homosexual behavior has not only divided TEC it has divided the whole Anglican Communion! Out of which GAFCON was born.

The last 30 years have been an agonizing journey through four Lambeth conferences, a Windsor Report, a Covenant and endless “listening” – a dog whistle to homosexuals that if the orthodox listen long enough to the plaintive cries of homosexuals, then we will understand and subsequently affirm them.

But the Global South have made it very clear that they won’t accept anything but a full-throated affirmation of 1:10 and its biblical underpinnings, no options.

Welby is offering a two-track solution attempting to appease both sides. But the Law of Non-Contradiction makes that impossible. By recognizing the position of the Episcopal Church, he is signaling they have a legitimate claim to their view and everyone should just sit back and relax.

The Telegraph newspaper ran a headline; I won’t punish churches that conduct gay marriages which pretty well says it all.

TEC Presiding Bishop seemed to echo that sentiment and said, “I want you to know, though, that at the end of this day, when we did discuss same-sex marriage and marriage in general, in the context of talking about human dignity, and the ministry of reconciliation in Christ, I left that conversation hopeful. I left it hopeful, not because we all came to agreement across all of our differences. No, no, we didn’t even try to do that. I left hopeful not because I convinced anybody of where I stand, or that they convinced me of where they stand.”

The Global South emphatically rejects any such “hope”. Resolution 1.10 is bigger than the Lambeth Conference, Badi told ENS. “Why we take it to be important [is] because it has the authority of the Bible.”

“What is also clear is that Lambeth 1.10 itself continues to be a source of pain, anxiety and contention among us,” Welby continued. “That has been very clear over the course of this Lambeth Conference. That is also part of the current reality of our communion. To be reconciled to one another across such divides is not something we can achieve by ourselves.”

Does he think the Holy Spirit will go against Jesus in trying to achieve reconciliation when both Jesus and Paul said that was impossible?

Welby wants his cake and to eat it too. A headline in an ENS report caught the contradiction: Archbishop of Canterbury’s remarks on human dignity lift up traditional and progressive marriage beliefs.

Does Welby think he can pull the wool over the eyes of the Global South? I think not. They have put out a document requesting signatures reaffirming 1:10. They are hoping a majority of bishops will sign it. At least 250 of the 600 are known to be orthodox.

As Archbishop James Wong told VOL; “They must be faithful to the Word of God, or they are being unfaithful to the Word of God. If they are failing in their faithfulness to the Word of God, they need to reconsider and repent.”

There is not a prayer that the pro-pansexual Western liberal churches have any intention of repenting. Six homosexual couples are at this Lambeth, and they are here to tell everybody that they are here to stay. If there is another Lambeth Conference there will undoubtedly be more.

The ball is now firmly in the court of the Global South.

END

WELBY OFFERS DUAL APPROACHES TO HUMAN SEXUALITY

By David W. Virtue in Canterbury
www.virtueonline.org
August 2, 2022

In his attempt to placate Global South bishops who are firmly rooted in a biblical understanding of human sexuality, Archbishop Justin Welby spoke to the biblical underpinnings of the conservative bishops’ beliefs in his remarks during the Human Dignity Call.

Facing strong pressure from the GSFA bishops led by Sudan Primate Justin Badi requesting that all the bishops including the Archbishop of Canterbury reaffirm Lambeth 1:10 Justin Welby was cornered and had little wiggle room to respond, but respond he did.