The continuing controversy in the Anglican Church over homosexuality and the ordination of avowed homosexuals as priests threatens to divide the denomination.
The latest here in the United Kingdom is a proposal for an all-powerful “star chamber” headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Under the proposal, the archbishop, Dr. Rowan Williams, would get significant new powers, though not sufficient to make him into an Anglican “pope.”
The archbishop would preside over a final court of appeal, allowing him to supposedly exercise “the judgment of Solomon” over warring factions in the 70-million member church.
Liberals are expected to resist the proposal because they believe in the autonomy of their individual churches. The Lambeth Commission, created by the archbishop to avert a split in the denomination, will decide.
If Anglican leaders would read and believe the scriptures instead of trying to shape themselves in the image of culture, there wouldn’t be this problem.
I’m Cal Thomas in Northern Ireland.
