Religious groups & homosexuality/homophobia

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The Anglican Church of Canada
and equality for gays & lesbians

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Quotation:

Overview:

The Anglican Church of Canada (a.k.a. ACC, and l'Église Anglicane du Canada) is part of a world-wide Anglican Communion which includes the Episcopal Church, USA in the United States and the Church of England in England.

In the 2001 census, about 2 million Canadian adults (6.9%) identified themselves as Anglicans. The ACC has 800,000 registered members spread across its 30 dioceses. They are the fourth largest religious group in the country, behind the Roman Catholic Church, persons of no religion, and those identifying with the United Church of Canada.

Priests in the Anglican Communion have blessed marriages, dogs, cats, buildings, apartments, houses, boats, cars, etc. However, as of 2007-JUN-1, they are not currently permitted to bless the relationships of committed, loving, gay or lesbian couples, except in a few maverick dioceses.

The General Synod meets every three years and is made up of lay persons, priests and bishops from each diocese.

Historically, major ethical conflicts like the abolition of slavery, decriminalization of contraceptives, ordination of women, permitting inter-racial marriage, etc. have been settled first by liberal faith groups, and eventually by conservative groups. Blessings of same-sex relationships and ordination of priests who are in committed same-sex relationships are already permitted within a few liberal faith groups in Canada -- notably the United Church of Canada and the Canadian Unitarian Council. Change of these policies have not begun to be considered by conservative Christian faith groups. It is the mainline denominations in North America which are under extreme stress over whether to grant equal rights for gays and lesbians. This conflict is threatening to split the Anglican Church of Canada and other denominations.

The growing schism within the Anglican Communion offers an excellent example of the influence of local culture on religious beliefs. Those Anglicans in Africa and other countries that despise homosexuals and homosexuality are demanding that all provinces in the Communion actively discriminate against homosexuals and bisexuals. Those Anglicans in North America and other countries that are beginning to accept homosexuality as a normal, natural sexual orientation for a minority of adults are advocating equal treatment for persons of all sexual orientations. Yet both groups base their beliefs largely on the Bible.: the former group on the six "clobber" passages so often used to oppress gays lesbians and bisexuals; the latter group on the Bible's themes of justice and love.

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Copyright © 1999 to 2007 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2007-MAR-22
Author: B.A. Robinson