“The Anglican Communion is planning to surrender its soul to the Lawyers.
” The Revd Richard Kirker, General Secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement said today commenting on the statement from the Anglican Primates (Oct 16th)
“Instead of listening to our differences respectfully and learning from each other the Anglican Communion seems set on self destruction by relying on Law to bring a remedy to its spiritual differences.
“The creation of an Anglican version of the Inquisition will not answer our problems, it will inevitably create more.
“What does it say of a Church that defines itself by whom it excludes.
“Those who look to a new legal framework for Anglicanism as the answer may soon
learn that the Law is a two edged sword that will return to separate them too
from the body of faith.
“A new legal framework could be a disaster leaving us longing for mediation
rather than legal confrontation, for dialogue not legal arguments, for the
Spirit of diversity instead of legally enforced uniformity.
“The autonomous provinces of the Anglican Communion would do well to consider
long and hard before it surrenders to what may easily become a new legal
tyranny.
“Listen to us, lesbian and gay Christians have a long and bitter experience as
victims of law. Laws that stigmatised, burned, gassed, imprisoned and tortured
us. We do not trust the law, only God’s love, graciousness and mercy can set us
free.”
ends