Letter sent to Archbishop of York
Dear Archbishop,
The PCC have met and also the church congregation. The following is the considered prayerful response to the DVD issued to us a month or so ago. It is the unanimous response of the PCC to which the church congregation is very happy to agree.
Conclusions of Christ Church Bridlington PCC
1. How we relate to practising homosexuals in the church.
Our church mission is based on three important premises Belong, Believe, Behave. We will continue to relate to homosexuals in the same way that we relate to those heterosexuals who have an immoral lifestyle . We will welcome and be open to all, but we will not entrust any church responsibility, which has leadership or pastoral responsibility to those who may belong, believe but not behave. We expect those in any leadership role to hold to the values of Christ Church in general and in particular the traditional teaching of the Bible.
2. Our comments on the DVD
We heard with concern the stories told, but find this has also increased our anxiety that there is a hidden agenda to change the doctrine of the church and dismiss important teaching in the scriptures defining same sex sexual relationships as sin. We would have liked testimonies by those who used to be homosexuals but are now no longer in that orientation after prayer or counselling, and those who have suffered at the hands of the homosexual lobby (lost jobs, broken families, etc).
In addition the church has asked I table to you some further questions which I have. The Church congregation felt these were important questions which deserved an answer, but desired that they should be distinct from our response to the DVD as they fall outside the listening process brief. I and they would like a written response so your answers can be published for them to read.
.(a) Would the church be in breach of the European discrimination act if it continues to hold to biblical teaching on homosexuality. Are we allowed to preach what the bible says?
(b) Are bishops able to discipline immoral clergy (whether heterosexual or homosexual)? Is there both the will and the power to do it?
(c). Why is the church not exposing the flaws in the Kinsey report and the variance of views even within the homosexual community? *.
(d) What guidance is the church giving to those who want to steer a moral path in their sexual behaviour? The PCC view is that once we drift from the Bible teaching, we have no basis to define as wrong other sexual practices which the practitioner feels is right, and we are not able to state the truth which brings people to repentance and life; nor can we be the salt we need to be in the communities of our land where there is so much brokenness and confusion. We need clear affirmations of the biblical truth so that safe clear places of refuge can be found for those searching for spiritual life and truth in our land.
(e) Are we able to refuse to teach homosexuality as a lifestyle alongside heterosexual lifestyle in our church schools? Is there any plan for our teaching in schools to openly teach the traditional teaching of the Bible in the area of sexual behaviour.
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Couper
Vicar Christ Church Bridlington
Dear Archbishop,
The PCC have met and also the church congregation. The following is the considered prayerful response to the DVD issued to us a month or so ago. It is the unanimous response of the PCC to which the church congregation is very happy to agree.
Conclusions of Christ Church Bridlington PCC
1. How we relate to practising homosexuals in the church.
Our church mission is based on three important premises Belong, Believe, Behave. We will continue to relate to homosexuals in the same way that we relate to those heterosexuals who have an immoral lifestyle . We will welcome and be open to all, but we will not entrust any church responsibility, which has leadership or pastoral responsibility to those who may belong, believe but not behave. We expect those in any leadership role to hold to the values of Christ Church in general and in particular the traditional teaching of the Bible.
2. Our comments on the DVD
We heard with concern the stories told, but find this has also increased our anxiety that there is a hidden agenda to change the doctrine of the church and dismiss important teaching in the scriptures defining same sex sexual relationships as sin. We would have liked testimonies by those who used to be homosexuals but are now no longer in that orientation after prayer or counselling, and those who have suffered at the hands of the homosexual lobby (lost jobs, broken families, etc).
In addition the church has asked I table to you some further questions which I have. The Church congregation felt these were important questions which deserved an answer, but desired that they should be distinct from our response to the DVD as they fall outside the listening process brief. I and they would like a written response so your answers can be published for them to read.
.(a) Would the church be in breach of the European discrimination act if it continues to hold to biblical teaching on homosexuality. Are we allowed to preach what the bible says?
(b) Are bishops able to discipline immoral clergy (whether heterosexual or homosexual)? Is there both the will and the power to do it?
(c). Why is the church not exposing the flaws in the Kinsey report and the variance of views even within the homosexual community? *.
(d) What guidance is the church giving to those who want to steer a moral path in their sexual behaviour? The PCC view is that once we drift from the Bible teaching, we have no basis to define as wrong other sexual practices which the practitioner feels is right, and we are not able to state the truth which brings people to repentance and life; nor can we be the salt we need to be in the communities of our land where there is so much brokenness and confusion. We need clear affirmations of the biblical truth so that safe clear places of refuge can be found for those searching for spiritual life and truth in our land.
(e) Are we able to refuse to teach homosexuality as a lifestyle alongside heterosexual lifestyle in our church schools? Is there any plan for our teaching in schools to openly teach the traditional teaching of the Bible in the area of sexual behaviour.
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Couper
Vicar Christ Church Bridlington
Notes
* (a)Alfred Kinsey published Sexual Behavior in the Human Male in 1948, firmly in the pre-modern era. His “scientific” findings were likened to the Atomic bomb in effect -that 98% of men and roughly half of women had had premarital sex, 95% of American men were legally sex offenders and 10% or more of men were largely homosexual. And, while no one noted that 317 infants and children were "tested" for Kinsey's child sex data, educators repeated his conclusions that children were sexual from birth, hence school sex education should be mandatory.
That his 5,300 research subjects included 26% sex offenders, 25% prisoners, 4% prostitutes and very worryingly children This seemed not to be noticed at the time.His investigators included known paedophiles, as revealed by Kinsey himself: “Better data came from adult males who have had sexual contacts with younger boys and who, with their adult backgrounds, are able to recognize and interpret the boys' experiences”. Judith Reisman, Kinsey, Sex and Fraud (Lafayette, Louisiana: Huntington House, 1990).
(b) Various views:-
Homosexuality is a biologically determined orientation and is a justice issue, not a moral issue. – e.g Gene Robinson and ECUSA –.
Homosexuality is a biologically determined orientation and is a moral issue.
Homosexuality is a practice motivated by psychological issues, not an orientation as defined above and is a justice issue eg. Peter Tatchell
Homosexuality is a practice motivated by psychological issues, not an orientation as defined above and is a moral issue e.g. African church
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