Following are excerpts from letters to the editor about the New Westminster decision.
The synod had the best intentions when it passed this resolution, however, so did opponents of the legislation. We are all attempting to do in the best interest of the church.
Charles Wilson, Port Sydney, Ont.
To put it simply, neither I nor the silent majority of Anglicans want Bishop Ingham to rewrite the scriptures for us.
D. Harvey, Quispamsis, N.B.
We are proud of your willingness to be reviled for Jesus’ sake, and we are proud of your willingness to identify with the opprobrium ladled upon your queer congregants. Sleep soundly tonight and every night, Michael.
Rev. Joyce Barnett and Rev. Alison Kemper, Toronto
The effect of the Vancouver decision will be to cause others to doubt God’s word, to cause many Anglicans in both Vancouver and across Canada to either leave their denomination, or to cut back on their attendance and giving, or to fight for change from within to save what was, until recent decades, one of the greatest Christian traditions.
Frank Jones, Ottawa
Bishop Michael Ingham joins John Spong as one of the wisest Christian leaders today. Michael for Canterbury!
David Guppy, Victoria
If the church is going to be inclusive of gay unions then it should also open the gate wide to a variety of deviant sexual practices (open marriage, swinging, polygamy, bestiality, necrophilia, pederasty etc) and bless those unions as well.
Steve Lay, Mississauga, Ont.
I am not against same sex anything, at least not against the people. I do not see anywhere in the Bible that the church as a whole should welcome the (homosexual) act with open arms. I don?t think anyone should be turned away from the church but condoning this behavior is far beyond the teaching of the church or the Bible. I think this decision will be the downfall of the church in the long run.
Heather Matthews, Welland, Ont.
Since homosexual activity can’t be justified by reference to the Bible, tradition or reason, gay activists appeal to us by using the word "love." After all, can love be wrong? Yes, love is wrong when the word is only a cover for lust or for avoidance of the responsibilities that go with marriage and parenthood.
Al Reimers, Wellington, Ont.
Congratulations should be extended to Bishop Michael Ingham. Mission accomplished. A carefully crafted plan brilliantly executed. Mr. Ingham is a good man, but his theology is unsound. He thinks there is a fourth person in the Trinity.
Aubrey Searle, Langley, B.C.
Is it not the "moral teaching" of Holy Scripture and the tradition of the universal church to love thy neighbour as thyself? And is it not the "moral teaching" of the Christian community to be in full communion with your brothers and sisters regardless of color, nationality, gender and sexual orientation? Shame on the bishops for their denouncement of this progressive step and shame on the eight congregations that walked out of the synod.
Donald Tabor, Amherst, N.S.
