There's just nothing right about the Niagara Rite

NIAGARA FALLS REVIEW

BY BRAD PETERS, REVIEW NEWS EDITOR

AUGUST 12, 2009

The Niagara Falls Review reported recently that Anglican priests can start blessing same-sex marriages effective Sept. 1.

Why wait?

As long as we're throwing away 4,600 years of Judeo-Christian theology and teaching, why not get right to it? Perhaps "throwing away" is a little strong, but radically reworking it is not far from the mark. Rev. Charlie Masters, the national director of the Anglican Network of Canada (an organization formed by Anglicans unwilling to follow the denomination's gay marriage position), says that the Anglican church is reinterpreting the Bible to reflect current societal trends.

The Christian church -regardless of denomination -must, to some degree, reflect the society that it is in. Otherwise, its relevance is compromised. This has been a hard lesson learned to varying degrees of the main denominations and expressions of Western Christianity, mainly evident in shrinking congregations. But reflecting culture and society is one thing: Being shaped, and fundamentally redesigned in light of societal trend and pressure is something all together different.

While change is necessary and essential for all organic structures -of which Christianity is surely one -the reasons for change must be long considered and well thought out before implementation. It is here that the presentation by Bishop Michael Bird of the same-sex blessings change begins to show its weakness. The reasons that the bishop presented to Review reporter Corey Larocque just don't add up.

During the interview with Larocque, Bird said that welcoming homosexuals is a social justice issue. In that he is correct. Welcoming all people -regardless of their situations, be they sexual, financial, criminal or personal is the job of the church. Sexual orientation is only one of the many struggles people bring with them into our halls of faith. All should be welcomed with the same openness and attitude of Christ himself.

However, the leap from providing acceptance to affirming a lifestyle that our guiding principles -Scripture itself -condemns is flawed logic. If Christ remains the head and example of the Anglican church, it should follow Jesus' example. And Bird points out areas where Anglicanism attempts to do just that -fighting poverty and environmental responsibility. Bird also points out the mission of Christ to reach out to all people. And it's true, Jesus did. But in his outreach and instruction, he often encouraged people "to go and sin no more."

But that's the trouble word, isn't it? Sin. We don't like to use that word, even in many faith circles. But if we in the larger Church fail to identify what Scripture defines as sin, we risk losing the ability and position to identify what Scripture reveals as good. If we can no longer proclaim what is good, how can we continue to share Christ with those who need him -regardless of their sexual orientation.

The bishop says people need to be free to experience the presence of God in their own way. Perhaps that's true. My experience of God is likely to be different than yours because of the uniqueness of the nature of relationship. However, before one can experience that presence of God, Scripture teaches us that one must be free of sin. Unable to reach that state on our own, we rely on the atoning sacrifice of Christ to provide passage, access to God. Is homosexuality any different or worse than other human sin? Of course not.

But the church should be helping to reduce sin in the lives of its members, not institutionalizing it and blessing it.

There are many within the umbrella of Christianity that disagree with same-sex marriages and the church blessing of them. That doesn't make us homophobic, or some frothing-at-the-mouth Fred Phelps clones. Far from it. It's one more step in our journey to be as Christ-like as we can be this side of heaven.

As one who counts himself a follower of Christ, my intent is not to try to belittle or tear down those who claim the same goal and allegiance, but rather to challenge my brothers and sisters to rethink their current position on this issue. Regardless of denomination, we must hold fast to the unalterable truths of God ... especially in turbulent times, with quickly changing social mores and moral sacrifices.

Brad Peters is The Review's news editor. He also serves as student pastor at Facer Street Baptist Church in St. Catharines.