This is from Archbishop Rowan Williams in the Sunday Times (London) today:
"For a large majority of Christians — not only Roman Catholics, and including this writer — it is impossible to regard abortion as anything other than the deliberate termination of a human life. Whatever other issues enter into the often anguished decisions concerning particular cases, they want this dimension to be taken seriously.
"Equally, though, for a large majority of Christians this is a view which they know they have to persuade others about, and recognise is not taken for granted in our society. The idea that raising the issues here is the first step towards a theocratic tyranny or a capitulation to some neanderthal Christian right is alarmist nonsense."
The whole thing is to be found here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1532854,00.html.
It was originally posted by Fr. Harmon (http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/index.php?p=5503).
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6 comments:
Maybe someone can have Griswold read that and he can change our church's position from pro-choice to something a bit less murderous.
WB and Johnny,
The Episcopal Church is a lot like the Yankees. With this opinion, I am gratefully indebted to Mr. Rennier, who has taught me that sports and religion are essentially the same thing.
My comparison will begin with the obvious. Wealth peppers the popular understanding of each of these organizations. Each has too much influence because of their wealth. For instance, Episcopalians no longer have many Christians, but they do have nice buildings. Similarly, the Yankees have no farm players, but they always go out and get free agents. Both are taken seriously despite their impotence.
My other comparision is between Vicky Robinson and Jason Giambi. Giambi held a press conference to apologize, he would not say what he was apologizing for. Similarly, after the consecration of Vicky Robinson, the Episcopal Church began to talk about "reconcilation" and the importance of the Mystical body. However, they do not apologize for breaking the rules.
The final vital comparison between the Episcopal Church is Bishop Spong and George Steinbrenner. Both are evil men, that lead idiots in the tri-state area.
Thank you, Mr. Rennier for your tremendous line of insight.
Philip
I'm still not impressed. So +Cantuar acknowledges that abortion is the taking of a life. Now therapeutic or indirect abortion, that is, with the intent to save the life of the mother, is that but not a murder. Abp Williams isn't saying that abortions for convenience are murders. And he implies that conservative Christians are 'neanderthals'.
This tactic is not unique - American pro-abortion politicians, even Hillary Clinton, are doing it too in a lame attempt to get red-state-type voters, admitting that abortion is bad and that they want to stop it... by spreading contraception to make illicit sex easier. Sure.
So by admitting that it is the taking of a life +Cantuar isn't really saying or doing anything against abortion.
Just another dodge from a Broad Churchperson.
Archbishop Williams treats the issue of abortion with respect for the difficulty with which many struggle with the issue, while at the same time being clear about his personal beliefs on its morality. It is a stance that the rhetoriticians among us who use abortion as a battering ram would do well to observe. If only the Archbishop could muster the same type of leadership on other issues that affect the current state of the Church.
'I'm personally opposed but...' doesn't impress me either. Different from the last US election where both sides effectively would do nothing about abortion and it was a question of who possibly would stop the killing in Iraq.
Interesting and bothersome that there are no goings-on here about the nonvoluntary and active killing of a certain healthy, though paralyzed, young woman in Florida at the moment... I notice that the real Catholics are up in arms over the issue. Are we for letting live or making die, really?
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