Kim Hill last night on TV1's Face To Face challenged the Anglican Dean of Auckland, Bishop Richard Randerson, to justify his acceptance of a "sexual practice that is condemned as an abomination throughout the Bible." In a discussion which covered the ordination of gay US bishop Gene Robinson, as well as the Anglican Church's continuing debate over homosexuality, Bishop Randerson denied Hill's assertions that Robinson's ordination was forcing the Church to defy scripture. Bishop Randerson said that homosexuality was only referred to in a “handful of texts” that are hotly debated by scholars, and that human sexuality was not understood 3,000 years ago as it is today. Hill was unconvinced that the furore over gay clergy could be compared with the controversy surrounding the ordination of women, as the female clergy issue did not involve a “sexual practice”, despite Bishop Randerson pointing out that protests to both issues were Biblically motivated. References to Dr Robert Spitzer's distorted study of “ex-gays” were also made, with Bishop Randerson saying he believed that all 200 study subjects were bisexual, hence explaining their claim of change. Hill accused Gene Robinson of being selfish in “pushing the envelope” and thinking he was bigger than the Church, which Bishop Randerson also denied. “He will be elected not because he's gay, he will be elected because people after very careful scrutiny have decided that he has the spiritual and pastoral qualities that the want,” said Bishop Randerson.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Friday, 14th November 2003 - 12:00pm