'Gay' Anglican cleric calls Easter message 'repulsive,' 'insane' – makes 'God sound like a psychopath'
Pastor Dale Morgan
'Gay' Anglican cleric calls Easter message 'repulsive,' 'insane' – makes
'God sound like a psychopath'*
Posted: April 1, 2007
BBC
Church of England traditionalists, wearied by the battles over
homosexuality in the church and the clergy, are about to take it on
their spiritual chins once again when a leading "gay" cleric will tell
listeners to BBC Radio 4 that Christianity's traditional teaching on
Christ's crucifixion for the sins of mankind is "repulsive," "insane"
and makes "God sound like a psychopath."
Rev. Jeffrey John, who was forced to withdraw before assuming a position
as bishop in 2003 after it was learned he was in a longterm homosexual
relationship, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday and will criticize
ministers who use their Easter messages to preach that Jesus was sent to
earth to die as an atonement for sin, reported the London Telegraph.
Christian theology has taught the doctrine of "penal substitution" –
that humans, alienated from God by their sins and unable to save
themselves, could only be forgiven by God sending Christ as a substitute
to suffer and die in their place.
"In other words, Jesus took the rap and we got forgiven as long as we
said we believed in him," said John. "This is repulsive as well as
nonsensical. It makes God sound like a psychopath. If a human behaved
like this we'd say that they [sic] were a monster."
John, who currently serves as dean of St. Albans, raised a furor when he
and Rev. Grant Holmes, a hospital chaplain, entered into a civil
partnership last August.
Church of England clergy may enter into "gay" marriage if they assure
their bishop they are to remain celibate.
In rejecting penal substitution, John will reportedly propose a
different interpretation of Christ's death, suggesting Christ was
crucified so he could "share in the worst of grief and suffering that
life can throw at us."
Too many Christians fail to understand God is about "love and truth",
not "wrath and punishment," Johns said.
Rev. Tom Wright, the bishop of Durham, blasted the BBC for giving John
such an influential forum to make provocative claims on traditional
beliefs, saying John's statements attacked the central message of the
Christian gospel.
"He is denying the way in which we understand Christ's sacrifice. It is
right to stress that he is a God of love but he is ignoring that this
means he must also be angry at everything that distorts human life,"
Wright said.
"I'm fed up with the BBC for choosing to give privilege to these
unfortunate views in Holy Week," he said.