A sexual ethic for TEC

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

> From: *****************
> To: lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
> Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 10:41 AM
>
> I saw the exchange between you and John Howe.  Don't you
> think the time has come for us to develop a sexual ethic for
> our poor church?  The world's image of us in that department
> is, "Anything goes."  And I've got magazine articles to prove
> it.  When ws simply push the LBGT agenda, it sounds as though
> we're saying, "If it feels good, it is good."   Shouldn't we be
> talking about monogamy, fidelity, self-control, etc.  At the
> moment we have no visible guidelines about promiscuity, teenage
> sex, sado-masochism, etc.  Just wondering.


Bishop *********,
 
You have apparently not been reading any of the many materials about
sexual ethics published and promoted by Claiming the
Blessing, Integrity and other lgbt voices. 
 
In no way does Integrity, suggest that "If it feels good, it is
good."  That is absolutely silly.   
 
Do you get your notions of lgbt Christian sexuality from
pornography?  I don't understand your sexuality through the lens of
Shriners parades; why should you so belittle ours?
 
I am used to abuse from David Virtue, but frankly I expect you as a
bishop to have a much higher standard of discourse.  
 
If you're interested in what TEC has said about monogamy in lbgt
relationships, see the text of   2000-D039 at
http://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=2000-D039.
Nothing you say goes nearly so far as that resolution, strongly 
supported by lgbt deputies.
 
If you are interested in the lgbt Christian  points of view, see for a
starter Susan Russell's background paper "Where Do We Stand?  A
Background Paper on Gay & Lesbian Inclusion in the The Episcopal
Church at http://claimingtheblessing.org/wherewestand.html. It
includes the full text of C051 from GC 2003 -- another resolution
that goes much farther than what you have said. There are numerous
related documents at
http://claimingtheblessing.org/publications.html and  at Integrity's
Amazon Portal,
http://astore.amazon.com/wwwintegrityu-20/103-7507320-6302251

Yes, do join us in developing a sexual ethic for our church.  You
might begin by not bearing false witness against your lgbt neighbors.

Louie
 
Louie Crew, 377 S. Harrison St., 12D, East Orange, NJ 07018 973-395-1068
http://queereye4lectionary.blogspot.com/  Queer Eye for the Lectionary

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:35:07 EDT
From: lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Subject: Re: A Sexual Ethic for TEC!

> Hold your horses, Louie - you overreact to a simple inquiry. I don't
> have a clue about your reference to Shrnier's parades - what in the
> world is that? My question centered on the fact that the only thing
> the world knows about us is that we have an openly gay bishop.
> (Several others, I'm sure, who are not so open.) The world, alas,
> doesn't pay too much attention to the resolutions of a GC.  You know
> that as well as I. My question was about how we make public our
> stance on matters of sexuality.  (I confess that I had not seen the
> resolution from the 2000 GC. Not too bad, but a few terms beg for
> exegesis.  That's the only Convention I've missed since 1964).
 
>  Peace, *******

I agree that the world little notes our resolutions, but they do empower 
actions that the world does notice, such as the consents to the 
consecration of +Gene.
 
+Gene Robinson has had more media time than the GC budget would purchase, 
and he has done a superb job of speaking the good news about God's 
redeeming love in Christ Jesus.  He has taken every hateful insult as an 
opportunity not to return insult in kind, but to speak good news.
 
The most dramatic way you and your House could correct the world's 
misperceptions of the Episcopal Church is to stop treating him like a 
pariah.  Join him in proclaiming healthy models of marriage like his 
marriage to Mark Andrew.
 
And like unto it, end the moratoria.  Stop making scapegoats of lbgt 
people.
 
Louie