Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks to Teens about Abortion and Homosexuality (Doesn't condemn either)

LifeSiteNews ^ | 12/13/07 | Hilary White

[wagglebee]

CANTERBURY, UK, December 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Three teenage girls from an award winning teenage magazine, Oi!, met with Rowan Williams, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, who invited the teen reporters to take "tea and toast" with him at his official residence.

Oi!, that stands for "Outspoken Individual", is a magazine run by and geared for young people, that hails from Kent, the county in the southeast of England in which the ancient town of Canterbury is located. The young reporters were searching for "outspoken" Kentish people and described their meeting with Dr. Williams as an "overwhelming interview" in which they "had all our preconceptions shattered".

But despite Dr. Williams' reputation in Britain as being unusually forthright, he failed to set forth any universally applicable moral principles with regard to the killing of the unborn, or immoral sexual practices, even when one of the girls admitted to being pregnant and thinking of an abortion.

17 year-old Georgie Gothhard who told Dr. Williams, "I am currently 12 weeks pregnant," asked if there was anything he could suggest to make the decision whether to "keep it" easier. Dr. Williams responded "As a Christian I could never advise anyone to have a termination."

"Personally I believe a child is a gift from God and you wouldn't give a gift back - would you? I believe abortions are allowed too late as they are still allowed to be performed at 24 weeks of pregnancy."

Dr. Williams, however, did not say that there was any universal moral principle at work that absolutely prohibits abortion, but implied that such a prohibition would apply only to Christians and that a possible legitimate exception for legal abortion could be in cases of pregnancy due to rape. 

He said, "Not everyone in the country is a Christian, so the law has to compromise to reflect different aspects of the discussion, for example if a rape was involved."

"However, I do think the time limit for abortions is too high, especially as medical science is allowing us to keep foetuses alive that are under even 23 weeks old. This is something that needs to be discussed further."

18 year-old Mily Veitch described a "gay" friend of 15 who was "in a relationship" with a 22 year-old man with whom he was "happy" and "they are even talking about adopting."

Dr. Williams did not urge the young teen to receive help in the case, which under British law is one for the police given the child's age. Instead he said, "I have questions as to whether same sex couples can provide the same stability as 'normal parents'. I have no answers really, just questions."

"Many would argue that we need a balance of men and women to bring a child up. However, I have seen one fantastic example of same sex parenting first hand and I suppose stability is another key consideration."

Just before the girls were leaving Dr. Williams, Georgie related that he "touched my arm and told me to take care of 'you both' - referring to me and my baby. This was completely unexpected but very much appreciated."

Read the interview in Oi! Magazine (Adobe required):
http://www.creativeuksolutions.co.uk/six.pdf

[wagglebee]

Dr. Williams, however, did not say that there was any universal moral principle at work that absolutely prohibits abortion, but implied that such a prohibition would apply only to Christians and that a possible legitimate exception for legal abortion could be in cases of pregnancy due to rape.

And people wonder why the Anglican Communion is collapsing.

[wagglebee]

Pro-Life Ping

[rfp1234]

Archbishop of Canterbuggery.

[wagglebee]

Anglican Ping (And it’s not good)

[wagglebee]

Homosexual Agenda and Moral Absolutes Ping!

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[Gay State Conservative]

And people wonder why the Anglican Communion is collapsing.

Sounds like African congregations sending missionaries to Europe and the US is badly needed and potentially beneficial.

[Amendment10]

Regarding same-sex sexual relationships, the Archbishop should know that Romans 1:25-27 tells us that such relationships are a consequence of idolatry. In other words, such relationships are a consequence of disobeying the 1ST COMMANDMENT, a major aspect of the GREATEST COMMANDMENT, to love God with all your being.

Homosexuals should keep in mind, however, that the good news of the gospel is not about how God despises same-sex sexual relationships. In fact, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 indicates that certain members of that church had formerly been slaves to such relationships but had been cleansed in Jesus’ name. So these former homosexuals had evidently repented and accepted God’s grace to straighten their lives out.

John 3:16
Revelation 3:20

[wagglebee]

Some of the finest Christian leaders in the world today, both Catholic and Protestant, are from Africa.

[sionnsar]

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Sending the Archbishop a Bible for Christmas, I do hope he reads it...

[D-fendr]

Sounds like he made a big career choice mistake:

“I have no answers really, just questions.”

[8mmMauser]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

[wagglebee]

I don’t know if you saw this thread I posted yesterday, but Canada has decided that political correctness trumps the right to freedom of speech and religion:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1939157/posts

[AnalogReigns]

Not be one voice here crying opposite, but there’s something to be said for English understatement.

For example,”As a Christian I could never advise anyone to have a termination.” is certainly a statement against abortion—even if understated. And of course we don’t know which words were emphasized, so you can’t say how strong it was. Was it said like, “As a Christian I could NEVER advise anyone to have a termination.” ?

On the homosexual issue, yes, he doesn’t condemn—but he sure as heck didn’t bless it either. Just to raise questions to your typical homosexual activist is to be accused of being “bigoted.”

Particularly for a minister, in normal conversation, understatement is often an icebreaker, for more complete communication—and influence. Any minister who said to an unwed pregnant girl he just met “Why even to consider an abortion is murder!” (though true) should get out of the ministry quick as he has no tactfulness. And of course we all know the Brits are known for understatement too. I think it’s wrong to be too condemnatory of the ABC here.

[wagglebee]

Here he seems to make it clear that he does not necessarily believe that his position on abortion should extend to non-Christians:

He said, "Not everyone in the country is a Christian, so the law has to compromise to reflect different aspects of the discussion, for example if a rape was involved."

"However, I do think the time limit for abortions is too high, especially as medical science is allowing us to keep foetuses alive that are under even 23 weeks old. This is something that needs to be discussed further."

[AnalogReigns]

I fully agree with you, he is wrong on this point—and would be labeled as “pro-choice” in the USA, as he buys the line that abortion is inevitable, so the state must make it safe (and therefore available). Such, you and I both agree is hogwash—believed by the gullible.

That’s still not the same thing as endorsing abortion.

[G Larry]

Excusing sin and pretending there are no consequences is not the way of Christ.

[AnalogReigns]

I for one believe that socially adultery is inevitable....but I don’t favor laws that make it, in and of itself, a crime.

Of course abortion involves medical professionals...hence it was, and is, possible to effectively ban it. The stats about deaths by “back-alley” abortions before Roe v. Wade we know were simply made up... Very (very) few women dared to be cut up by a back-alley doctor, and besides—try to cover up sin, by killing your baby, and bad things will tend to happen.

Anyway, in a way-too-mild way for me, ABC Williams does show disapproval for both abortion, and homosexual practice. I too wish he was MUCH stronger on these, but it’s not the same as endorsement.

[Pinkbell]

It appears Dr. Williams has bought into the secular humanist theory of moral relativity.

[Zero Sum]

18 year-old Mily Veitch described a "gay" friend of 15 who was "in a relationship" with a 22 year-old man with whom he was "happy" and "they are even talking about adopting."

Let's put aside the whole "gay issue" for a minute and just consider the fact that we're talking about someone age 22 in a sexual relationship with someone age 15. Just what exactly IS the age of consent in England, anyway?

Dr. Williams did not urge the young teen to receive help in the case, which under British law is one for the police given the child's age.

I take this to mean that the age of consent is at least 16, but then there must be social forces that are attempting to push it even lower. I understand that a legal age of consent is, by its very nature, at least somewhat arbitrary; but I must say that even 16 seems to be pushing it. I have to admit, hearing this kind of stuff really frightens me--not just for society in general, but for the children and teenagers who are being taught that this kind of thing is normal. At what point, exactly, does such a relationship constitute pederasty? And they want to ADOPT??? Shouldn't this 15-year-old kid still be in school? And if they are somehow, inexplicably, allowed to adopt some poor child, this is the kind of depravity he will learn from his "parents"...

I weep for this generation.