Weather: Hi 4°C / Lo 2°C
Bishop who called for gay people to 'repent' condemned
Monday, 6 July 2009
Print
Email
The Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, has been accused of pandering to homophobia after calling on homosexuals to repent.
The bishop provoked outrage among gay groups when he urged Church leaders to stick to traditional values instead of being swayed by "culture and trends".
While calling for the "traditional teaching" of the Bible to be upheld, the Bishop said of homosexuals: "We want them to repent and be changed."
His controversial remarks were published just hours after more than half a million people, including the Prime Minister's wife, Sarah, took part in the Gay Pride parade in London.
Sharon Ferguson, of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, condemned Dr Nazir-Ali for making comments that she said would encourage hatred.
"It feeds to the more fundamental individuals who are looking to have their opinions ratified and speak hatefully and behave hatefully," she said.
"His comments are likely to cause more of a schism within the Church of England. He's saying their [gays and lesbians] sexuality is a sin. It's not. It's a gift from God. God made us all."
She added: "He is telling people 'You have to repent' for something they have no control over. It's like asking someone to repent because they have blue eyes."
Peter Tatchell, the gay rights campaigner, said he was "shocked" at the level of anti-gay prejudice voiced by the bishop. "Homophobia is a social and moral evil, just like racism. Bigotry, even in the guise of religion, has no place in a compassionate, caring society," he said. "I call on the bishop to repent his homophobia. His prejudice goes against Christ's gospel of love and compassion."
Labour MEP Michael Cashman accused the Bishop of Rochester of being "selective" about which parts of the Bible he upheld. "When he calls for the closure of all the banks, finance houses and credit card companies because of what it says in the Bible about usury, then I'll take him seriously," he said. "Until then, unless he can say anything good, he should shut up."
In his comments, made to a Sunday newspaper, the bishop said homosexuals should be welcomed into the Church but that a person's sexual nature could only be correctly expressed in a heterosexual union within marriage. His remarks reopened the row over homosexuality that has for years threatened to tear the Anglican Church apart.
He made them on the eve of today's official launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans at Westminster Central Hall in London where he is expected to speak in support of the organisation. The UK branch of the Fellowship is regarded by many liberals within the Anglican movement as an attempt to create a church within a church with the aim of heading off moves to ease rules on homosexuality. Dr Nazir-Ali is to step down in the autumn and he is expected to play an important part in the Fellowship's activities.
The Very Rev Colin Slee, the Dean of Southwark and a prominent liberal, was so alarmed by the the impending departure of Dr Nazir-Ali from the See of Rochester that he described it as "clearly a move towards a sectarian alternative church intentionally designed to create turbulence in the Anglican Communion".
Canon Chris Sugden, of the Fellowship, said a message from the Queen will be read out during the ceremony but a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman called it nothing more than a "standard response" to the many requests made to the monarch each year. "It isn't endorsing anyone's point of view," she said.
Zeal of the convert: The Bishop of Rochester
*Michael Nazir-Ali has been one of the most vocal and controversial of bishops of the past decade and has rarely been afraid to speak out.
He was a leading contender to become Archbishop of Canterbury when George Carey stood down but has found himself at odds with Rowan Williams, the incumbent.
The issue of homosexuality has been one of the biggest causes of friction between Dr Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, and the liberal wing of the Anglican Church.
In 2008 the rift was so marked that he boycotted the Lambeth Conference, a meeting of Anglican Church leaders held once a decade, because of the row over homosexuality. He is part of an evangelical wing urging the Church to stick to a traditional interpretation of the scriptures regarded by liberals, especially on the issues of homosexuality and women priests, as backward.
This year he announced he would step down as Bishop of Rochester in September to allow him time to concentrate on representing the Church in parts of the world where Anglicans are a minority religion or oppressed.
Born in Pakistan to Catholic parents, he converted at the age of 20 and holds dual British and Pakistani nationality. Appointed the 106th Bishop of Rochester in 1994, he was the first non-white diocesan bishop in the Church of England. Since then he has been a frequent critic of the rise of Islam in Britain.
Independent
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.
Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.
Comments
24 Comments
Heres a scientific fact for all you gurus out there
If a twin is gay, the chances of the other twin being gay ALSO is only 20%- homosexuality isnt entirely up to genetics
William, what mainstream Chrisitan churches preach hatred? Perhaps come up with some evidence to back this up instead of regurgitating rubbish from THE NEW ATHEISTS.
In addition, the similarities between new atheism and evangelical Christians are scary
Posted by conor | 08.07.09, 23:16 GMT
So Rueben "We cant control our sinful nature".Given that you believe 'God' designed & made us, does this mean that he messed up in his design by including this inability to control? Ergo are you implying 'God' got it wrong?
Posted by In The Name Of The Fada | 08.07.09, 11:29 GMT
I say stone him and only after i blow this whistle even if i do say Jehova. "Monty Pythons Life of Brian" Way ahead of its time for something based in the Biblical Middle east.
Posted by Dr Thimbron Pernasuss | 08.07.09, 09:38 GMT
Robert, I hope you find your Great White Throne. However, when you move on to the next phase don’t be surprised to find ordinary everyday guys like me who don’t believe in religion standing right beside you.
It beggars belief that this vast universe that we live in was created solely to facilitate the eternal salvation of a handful of Free Ps who happened to live in a place called Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 21st century.
Posted by Fred | 07.07.09, 19:48 GMT
Sin represents death. If everyone of us were gay, there would be no future for anyone of us as we would all die out as Homosexuality cannot naturalluy produce a baby without the opposite sex. no future and no equal rights for our children. therefore Homosexuality is a sin. Clear and logical
Posted by Reuben | 07.07.09, 17:11 GMT
They say that a persons pride can blind them to the truth or whatever else is going on. like if someone talks alot they cant really listen. This is the true nature of Gay Pride. Sin. dont think im focusing on Gay people here, Im focusing on everyone of us. We cant control our sinful nature. we can only rise above it by looking into and trusting the message of christ. Dont Judge a book by its cover. Please. at least read it and make the decision for yourself. not on say so.
Posted by Reuben | 07.07.09, 17:08 GMT
Doesnt matter what age were living in, 1000, 2000 or even 3000 years ago, people in those days would have seen themselves as living in the modern age also. Jesus Christs message is very relevant to the sinful & burdening issues of the human heart. The human hearts always the same, no matter what era ur living in. can I not disagree with u? do you not allow this. is this the way you want the law to be in the name of equality&diversity. why shud we not be able to disagree like anything else. Why??
Posted by Reuben | 07.07.09, 17:03 GMT
The Bishop is a man of faith that sticks to what he believes in. If he said something against what he believes ( The Bible), he would be called a hypocrite. We are (At the moment) a free country. That is freedom to say what we believe or don't believe. We have a God given free will. It seems to me that there are those working to take away our freedoms. It is not hate to say something is a sin. Far from it.
Posted by Miss DJ | 07.07.09, 14:05 GMT
Get on point lads. The bishop is not asking gays to repent for being born gay but for indulging in gay sexual practices, just as he would ask innate heteros to repent for indulging in extra or pre-marital sex.
Posted by Patrick | 07.07.09, 13:09 GMT
Neal, that may well be 'Biblical Truth', but we all know that 'Biblical Truth' isn't actual truth!
Thanks
Posted by In The Name Of The Fada | 07.07.09, 13:02 GMT
Wise up people. Equality does not apply to straight evangelican Christians.
I am also mystified as to why Muslims are not equally admonished when they articulate even more extreme views on homosexuality. Calling on gays to repent pales into insignificance beside stoning gays to death or hurling gays from the highest mountain. Mmmmmmm.
Posted by lumina | 07.07.09, 12:22 GMT
We must stand before"The Great White Throne" then Robert? Fantastic stuff.Hardly surprising that people such as yourself live in fear of this day given that this part of Ireland has been saturated with militant dogma for generations and tales of woe designed to keep ordinary folk in line and maintain the status quo in favour of the rulers & law makers.Do yourself a favour and take a novel approach and think for yourself and dont rely on outdated tall tales & lies to guide you!
Posted by In The Name Of The Fada | 07.07.09, 11:41 GMT
Conor, we certainly will not be remembered as a great civilisation. How can a world at constant war be classed as civilised? A world in which our elected leaders are corrupt and Churches of all faiths preach hate and intolerance while their "employees" carry out all sorts of unsavory, disgusting acts at home and abroad and have been doing so for centuries. The church has abused it's power for to long and more and more people are beginning to wise up to the fact. Religion ain't civilised, fact.
Posted by William | 07.07.09, 11:26 GMT
Reuben, you are actually rather frightening, i hope i never meet you.
Posted by Mihe | 07.07.09, 11:11 GMT
Yeah, thanks for that Reuben. That was a big help.
Posted by McD | 07.07.09, 10:41 GMT
William, will we be remembered in 2000 years as a great civilisation?- Doubt it
Posted by conor | 07.07.09, 10:24 GMT
Well said rebuen. Wouldnt listen to the scoffers on here. They will have to give an account for themselves on the day of Judgment. Kid youselves all you like, we all must some day stand before the Great White Throne and be judged. Only faith in the perfect Man can save us, namely Jesus Christ.
Posted by Robert | 07.07.09, 10:17 GMT
I applaud the Bishop for not being afraid to say clearly what he, and born-again Christians everywhere, hold as Biblical Truth.
Posted by Neal | 07.07.09, 10:05 GMT
Another loud-mouthed Archbishop who should know better!
Posted by Jim Guinnessey | 06.07.09, 18:36 GMT
I don't think the vast majority of people take much notice of any clergy-mans ramblings, not in this day and age. Maybe 20 years ago we believed in the fairy-tales they preached. Welcome to the 21 century Mr Nazir-Ali.
Posted by William | 06.07.09, 17:22 GMT
24 Comments