The first openly gay Episcopal bishop, whose consecration has brought the world's Anglicans to the brink of schism, said Tuesday that the Episcopal Church should not give in to demands that it roll back its acceptance of gays.
New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson said in a statement that Episcopalians should set aside the Anglican Communion's request for now ``and get on with the work of the Gospel'' even at the risk of losing their place in the Anglican fellowship.
``Doesn't Jesus challenge the greater whole to sacrifice itself for those on the margins?'' Robinson said. ``Now is the time for courage, not fear.''
It was Robinson's first public statement on an ultimatum that Anglican leaders issued last week during a meeting in Tanzania. They gave the U.S. denomination until Sept. 30 to unequivocally pledge not to consecrate another gay bishop or authorize official prayers for same-sex couples. If it doesn't, the church risks a much-reduced role in the Anglican family of churches that trace their roots back to the Church of England.
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Robinson said gays and lesbians were being asked to sacrifice much more than others. He compared Anglicans who oppose full acceptance of gays and lesbians to the Pharisees, and said Jesus would never have been asked to halt his ministries out of sensitivity to them.
``How will we explain this 'forbearance' to all those gay and lesbian Christians who have come to the Episcopal Church because, for the first time ever, they have believed that there is a place for them at God's table, not simply beneath it, hoping for fallen scraps?'' he wrote.
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