Lambeth Reflections July 22

I met Abp Daniel during his previous three visits to DioChi. He was cheerful and positive. The ECS statement is neither. Abp Daniel either ignores or denies that our choice of life partner is a gift from God. The veiled assertion about our humanity in his press interview evokes memories of the worst of the last century's history. Prayerfully, I ask you, +Jeff, to invite +Daniel to rethink his viewpoint. He has met gay Christians. In Sudan, will he advocate for them, or not?

Our relationship with the Sudan is important; but it's time for the Episcopal Church to choose justice over accommodation. At the time of the Civil War, Episcopalians argued that it would be unfortunate to allow differences over slavery to get in way of important work that needed to be done! Today, that sounds outrageous; yet are we not saying the same thing with regard to the inclusion of glbt persons?

Daniel Deng Bul's comments are illustrative of the fact that somehow it is still considered "OK" for homosexuals to be discriminated against in the church, using the Bible as justification. Would it be "OK" in 2008 not to invite someone because he is black, or because she is a woman? Blessedly, it would not. Why, then, do we continue to tolerate discrimination against gays and lesbians? It's time to finally stop tolerating bigotry; the church's tolerance has hurt gays and lesbians enough.