Episcopal update: Do They Have the Guts to Stand Their Ground?

Do They Have the Guts to Stand Their Ground?
Charleston City Paper, SC -

As any living, breathing LGBT person knows, we're usually hard-pressed to find a church that is going to be open and accepting. And, say we do find a church that is accepting of us as individuals … How will they feel if I bring my girlfriend and heaven forbid, want to hold her hand or put my arm around her? The last thing I want is to walk into a church and feel the glare of many judging eyes. I've been there before. And, to be honest, it's kept me away from Christian churches for substantial amounts of time and made me wonder if there would ever be a place where I could go and be myself … As I believe God created me to be.

The U.S. arm of the Anglican Communion (The Episcopal Church USA) has been publicly debating the issues of gay ordination and same-sex unions for half a decade. This, of course, all came out (so to speak) when Gene Robinson (an openly gay Episcopal priest) was confirmed as a bishop at the 2003 general convention of the denomination.

The American Episcopal church seems to be predominantly liberal in its approach to this issue, but some North American dioceses have already pulled out of the American church and more are threatening to do the same. So, this week, the American House of Bishops is meeting in New Orleans to come to some sort of decision on the issue. Will they stand their ground as an open and inclusive Christian denomination or will they choose to bow to the Anglican Communion, for fear of disrupting the entire worldwide denomination with a church wide schism?

• US bishops face crunch vote on gay split Guardian Unlimited
• US bishop defects to Catholic Church in row over gays Times Online
• Anti-gay Anglican archbishop speaks in Wheaton Chicago Tribune
• Anglican Church could split Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom -
• 'God wants unity' but doesn't get it  Chicago Sun-Times, United States