What is the Anglican church stand on homosexuality?

Answer 1

The same as most Christian churches. Some Christians regard practising homosexuality as a sin, as it is condemned both in the Mosaic law of the Old Testament in The Bible but also in the New Testament by Paul in his letters. It depends upon how these verses are interpreted. Some Christians tolerate homosexuality, and to some it is an irrelevance. However, even for those regarding homosexuality as a sin, homosexuals are still welcomed into church membership as Christ's teaching says that we should love the sinner whilst hating the sin. Just because of a person's sexuality, this should in no way make him or her ostracised by fellow Christians who should, if they are following Christ's teaching, welcome him or her with love. The official line of the Anglican church is that within church membership homosexuality is accepted - even if regarded as a sin - for we are all sinners in the light of Christ's perfection, and we are called not to judge others. The problem arises if that homosexual is to be appointed in a position of authority within the church. If a church leader (such as a minister or bishop) is to profess belief in Christian marriage as God's ideal to which we should aspire in sexual relations, then, if that same leader is having affairs outside marriage, or living 'in sin' as it used to be called, with a member of the opposite sex to whom he or she is not married and with whom he or she is having sexual relations, then his or her position within the church is untenable as he or she is opening up the possibility of being called a hypocrite. People in caring and vocational professions such as a minister need to have a minimum of moral standard if they are to perform appropriately and not be accused of abusing the trust in them. Doctors who need to examine naked women professionally cannot, morally, have sexual realtionships with them. The young schoolteacher cannot make advances towards his younger, impressionable pupil. Similarly the Church leadership cannot aspire to be holy in their lives if they are having sexual relationships outside Christian marriage and therefore to have a hetero- or homo- sexual relationship outside marriage is seen as inappropriate. As marriage is not possible for homosexuals (civil partnership, though legal, is not Christian marriage), then any practising homosexual relationship is inappropriate for a church leader. There are many church leaders, however, that are homosexual by nature. But this is not seen as a sin - only if the leader is practising his or her homosexuality. So if a leader, such as a bishop, is a homosexual but celibate then that is accepted by the Church of England. If the bshop is heterosexual and in a monogamous marriage with his wife then this is also acceptable (unlike the Roman Catholic Church which does not allow clergy to gget married). However, if that bishop is in an openly active sexual relationship with either a woman who is not his wife, or within a homosexual relationship with another man, this is totally inapppropriate. At present the Church of England and the Anglican Church worldwide is in the middle of a crisis because the rules governing sexuality that have been adopted by the Church worldwide have been broken by the Episcopalian Church of the USA (the Anglican Church in America) in the appointment of an openly gay bishop who has admitted a sexual relationship with his gay partner. The African Church and many other provinces of the Church of England have denounced this appointment as it breaks both the Church Law and the teaching of Christ on marriage and sexuality, whilst liberals within the church have accepted the new bishop. The debate continues, but the official line is what is set out above - homosexuals are accepted into the church with open arms, but if they are considered for a position of leadership, if they continue to have such sexual relationships (or if they have heterosexual or bisexual relationships outside marriage) then their behaviour is deemed inappropriate. But the teaching of Jesus remains supreme in all this: hate the sin - but don't judge and love the sinner as you would love yourself.