Change And Repent, Bishop Tells Gays

Telegraph(UK) ^ | July 04th 2009

[Steelfish]

Change And Repent, Bishop Tells Gays

A senior Church of England bishop has called on homosexuals to repent and "be changed" in comments that have infuriated equality campaigners.

By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent 04 Jul 2009

The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, has defended traditional biblical teachings on homosexuality and said the Church should not be "rolled over by culture".

Dr Nazir-Ali spoke as tens of thousands of people, including Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister’s wife, joined the annual Pride London march to celebrate homosexual culture.

A war of words broke out between Labour and the Conservatives over the issue of homosexuality last week after a minister accused the Tories of having a "deep strain of homophobia" running through the party.

The bishop’s controversial comments will reignite the battle over homosexuality in the Church of England ahead of what promises to be a divisive week for Anglicanism.

Tomorrow, a new coalition of evangelical and Anglo-Catholic parishes, backed by Dr Nazir-Ali, will get under way, which critics have claimed is an attempt to create a "church within the church".

The organisers said The Queen, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, had sent a message to the leaders of the movement saying she understood their concerns about the future of the Anglican Communion.

Next weekend the General Synod of the Church of England is meeting at York University. The following week, the Episcopal Church in America is expected to endorse liturgies for single sex marriage and allow more homosexuals to be made bishops.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Dr Nazir-Ali said: "We want to uphold the traditional teaching of the Bible. We believe that God has revealed his purpose about how we are made.

"People who depart from this don’t share the same faith.

[SoConPubbie]

Many will return Home to Rome as they discover the reality of One Universal Church versus one universal enemy.

The "Universal Church" are those born-again by the Blood of Jesus Christ, not the members of a specific church, Catholic or otherwise.

[hinckley buzzard]

Nazir-Ali has been at this for awhile. He knows well what he is up against with the pervert lobby in full cry against him.

[denydenydeny]

Dr. Nazir-Ali is of Pakistani background. Regardless, he is a treasure. Needless to say, he receives almost constant death threats from Muslims.

There are few things more wonderful than immigrants who fully “get” the West and the greatness of its traditions.

[max americana]

> “The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, has defended traditional biblical teachings on homosexuality and said the Church should not be “rolled over by culture”.<

(clapping)

[narses]

Really? The other view is that those who join the Mystical Body of Our Lord are the Universal Church. That is the teaching that has been true since the very first.

[BobL]

“Dr. Nazir-Ali is of Pakistani background. Regardless, he is a treasure. Needless to say, he receives almost constant death threats from Muslims.

There are few things more wonderful than immigrants who fully “get” the West and the greatness of its traditions.”

AWESOME GUY...that is courage.

[kalee]

God bless and keep him. I hoped and prayed he would be Archbishop of Canterbury instead of Rowan Williams.

[Unam Sanctam]

For Heaven’s sake, the good bishop is entitled to free speech. What Nazis these homosexual activists are, who apparently now run the UK government.

[Antoninus]

Speaking the Truth to power. That’s what religious leaders are supposed to do.

[SoConPubbie]

Really? The other view is that those who join the Mystical Body of Our Lord are the Universal Church. That is the teaching that has been true since the very first.

Sorry, but your Lord and Master, Jesus Christ sees this different from you. Your teaching is of fallible man, not of God. It may be true as far as the Catholic Church is true, however, with regards to God, it is not.

In Jesus' own words:

John Chapter 3

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.