More Light Presbyterians, radical LGBT caucus for the PCUSA, welcomed homosexual Episcopal bishop and Center for American Progress fellow Gene Robinson to address their General Assembly dinner in Pittsburgh. MLP Executive Director and Field Organizer Michael Adee introduced Robinson as “one of the great innovators of Christianity” (after which he shared pro-LGBT slogans such as “Jesus had two dads, and He turned out okay”).
After receiving his standing ovation, Bishop Robinson chirped, “The work I think you have done creates much confusion in the Presbyterian church. And let me tell you that confusion is a huge step forward from certainty.” He complained of his supposed sufferings from his ordination, i.e. Biblical and orthodox Anglicans across the world thrown into outrage, causing a rift not only with Global South dioceses but also a split within the Episcopal Church (USA). Now the Anglican Communion faces what to do with the EPUSA as a result of its abandonment of sexuality standards. Robinson likened the Archbishop of Canterbury to a father and the EPUSA as a son coming out to his parents. “It is in those moments that the father has to ask how deep and how wide is his love for his son,” the bishop mused.
Robinson’s main purpose at the dinner was to encourage the MLP’s in their crusade for further progress in pro-LGBT measures. The revisionist caucuses were obviously receptive, especially in light of General Assembly’s decision to drop its clergy standards from celibacy in singleness and monogamous heterosexual relationships in marriage. “How many times does Jesus say when we stand on the side of history and for a loving God, we’ll be persecuted?” he inquired, “If you’re not getting in trouble for the Gospel you preach, you don’t have much of a Gospel at all.” He deemed pushing for the elimination of traditional sexuality standards “is worthy work and it is godly work.” Nevertheless, he did warn his audience about the importance of image and PR: “The thing that keep me sympathizing with my opponents is that they believe what we taught them not long ago.”
The bishop reinforced his point with a sense of inevitability: “We will see the church repent of what the church has done with LGBT issues the same way it repented of slavery.” “We know how this is going to end…and the conservatives know it too,” he audaciously claimed, “If the church doesn’t do this work, God’ll do this work without the church.”
Robinson continued, “God is revealing ‘Godself’ today…God just didn’t stop talking when the canon was closed and take a vacation to the Bahamas.” Robinson then envisaged the larger narrative at work: “What we’re seeing here is the beginning—just the beginning—to see an end to patriarchy.” He thought patriarchy as the grounds for “heterosexism.” In a gay relationship, a man must give up the privilege of manhood to receive the treatment of a woman while, in a lesbian relationship, a woman assumes the role of a man. According to Robinson, the disestablishment of patriarchy is why the repeal of DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) remains “so important.”
Rhetorically waggling his finger at traditional Christians, the CAP fellow contended, “Your church and my church aren’t on the selection committee. God is on the selection committee…We’re on the welcoming committee.” “You are leaven in the loaf,” he told his audience, “and you will change the rest of the church whether it likes it or not.” With increased schisms, an abandonment of morality, and (as one of my friends put it) the enshrinement of selfishness; one has to wonder about the nature of this leaven.
Comment by Dan Trabue on July 1, 2012 at 5:03 pm
“Jesus had two dads, and He turned out okay”
Funny, I like that. Thanks!
Comment by eMatters on July 1, 2012 at 7:05 pm
The one good thing about wolves like Robinson is that they have quit disguising themselves. They make it easier to spot other wolves. They are so transparently false that anyone who follows them must be a fake as well.
Comment by Dan Trabue on July 1, 2012 at 7:45 pm
I don’t know much about Robinson, but this is right on…
“Your church and my church aren’t on the selection committee. God is on the selection committee…We’re on the welcoming committee.”
Amen and amen!
Comment by eMatters on July 1, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Another sign of false teachers is thinking that cute slogans qualify as sound theology. The Bible couldn’t be more clear that false teachers are not authorized to represent God. The false teachers claim very specific things about God while getting all fuzzy on things they don’t like in the Bible.
When Dan responds to one of my comments I simply offer this rebuttal / prebuttal as a time saver. It covers anything he says — http://4simpsons.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/false-teacher-profile/ . I encourage anyone who engages him to read it thoroughly.
Comment by eMatters on July 1, 2012 at 9:06 pm
“Jesus had two dads, and He turned out okay”
But they didn’t sodomize each other and didn’t leave a wife and kids like Robinson did.
I could write an entire post on why that statement is ridiculous and how it is symptomatic of false teachers to offer such nonsense as if it means something, and how symptomatic it is for non-believers to swallow it.
Comment by Bart Gingerich on July 1, 2012 at 9:34 pm
It’s very very poor theology, to say the least.
Comment by Dan Trabue on July 1, 2012 at 9:32 pm
It’s a cute and funny bumper sticker, Neil, not theology. I’d think if nothing else, it might help the Church to lighten up a bit.
When the Bible speaks of False teachers, Neil, it isn’t speaking of brothers and sisters who merely honestly disagree with one another on this behavior or that. It’s speaking of those who deliberately spread falsehoods and slander for power or money’s sake.
Ironically, calling a brother or sister a “false teacher” who merely disagrees with you but does so in good faith in honestly seeking God’s ways… THAT teaching comes much closer to being an actual false teacher heresy than “oh, I disagree with your opinion on the sin nature of this behavior…”
We will always disgree with one another on this or that behavior, this side of perfection. How should we handle mere honest disagreements? By grace, not by accusations.
Grace is of God and accusation is of the devil, my brother.
Embrace grace.
Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
~Revelation 12:10
Hallelujah! Right? Let’s cast down the accusations which are not of God and embrace that power and salvation which comes BY GRACE.
Amen?
In Christ’s great love,
Dan
Comment by John McAdams on July 2, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Dan, I’m pretty sure you think that people who believe in traditional Christian standards of sexual morality are “false teachers,” don’t you?
If so, do you have any right to get on your high horse about people on the *other* side of the issue saying that people on your side are “false teachers?”
Robinson clearly believes that God is on his side of the issue, and the conservatives are on the wrong side. In your world, is it only people on your side of the issue who are allowed to assert things like that?
Comment by Dan Trabue on July 1, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Bart, if I may ask, what is your source for these quotes? I see no citation to point to where they came from. Is there a transcript?
I do like the quote, “confusion is a big step forward from certainty…” there’s also something to learn from that.
Thanks for pointing this out. While you all may not like this, I certainly enjoy most of the quotes you’ve excerpted and find them to be a holy blessing.
Comment by Chas Jay on July 11, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Dan, I suggest you read I Corinthians 5:9-13.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”[d]
Comment by Marco Bell on July 2, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Well said, Dan Trabue!
We very much appreciate the reasonable approach to humanity’s conundrums, and I think you’ve done well to enlighten many.
The Church might finally be starting to see the light. …Keep up the good work!
Pingback by One of My Darkest Experiences « Juicy Ecumenism on July 5, 2012 at 11:58 am
[…] ever seen. This pro-abortion event merely proves to be a culmination of revisionism ranging from LGBT pep rallies to dissuading evangelism to cries for “marriage equality” to denials of orthodox […]
Pingback by Turns out 70% of PCUSA General Assembly Commissioners Aren’t Actually Presbyterian « Juicy Ecumenism on July 10, 2012 at 12:21 pm
[…] heteropraxy. Due to lack of space, I will conclude that this is the fulcrum point from which spring rampant pansexuality, progressive partisan politics, and radical feminism. Dealing with those theological particulars, I […]
Pingback by Turns out 70% of PCUSA General Assembly Commissioners Aren’t Actually Presbyterian on July 11, 2012 at 12:03 am
[…] heteropraxy. Due to lack of space, I will conclude that this is the fulcrum point from which spring rampant pansexuality, progressive partisan politics, and radical feminism. Dealing with those theological particulars, I […]
Comment by Asdf on July 13, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Dan and eMatters, you two need to get a room. Two posts of your flirting with each other has gotten tiresome. You both have blogs…go elsewhere and flirt with each other there. The rest of us are sick of your stupid juvenile back and forth.
Comment by eMatters on July 16, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Thanks, Mr. Blog Nanny Person, but Jesus spoke out against false teachers and I’ll continue to follow his example — even if someone on the Interwebs doesn’t like it! If you really love people you’ll expose the wolves.