Anglican Mainstream

By Dermot O’Callaghan

Dermot O’Callaghan has been a member of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland for over thirty years. His speech was greeted with warm applause by most of the 400 members of General Synod.

Archbishop and members of Synod

I would like to ask if any criteria will be applied in permitting organisations to exhibit on stands at Synod in 2009.

I believe in freedom of speech, but I am concerned at some of the doctrines being promoted by the organisation called Changing Attitude. I should say that (a member of Changing Attitude) was on duty yesterday at the CA stand, and I had a long friendly chat with him. He knows that my concerns are driven by compassion, not homophobia. Indeed I met him again this afternoon and said that I intended to make a speech against CA, but that he should know that it was not against him personally. I asked him to pray for me as I made my speech, and he promised to do so.

The current CA Newsletter (Spring 2008, No.40, available free on the CA stand at Synod) contains a defence by Rev Colin Coward of CA’s document called Sexual Ethics. He describes it as “a well-written, serious contribution” to the church’s debate on sexual ethics.

The document says that:

• exploration of our sexual selves can be something which benefits from involvement with more than one person
• serial commitments and serial faithfulness may be a more realistic aspiration than permanent faithful stable relationships - clearly moving on from Jeffrey John’s position.

These are deadly doctrines. (Last night I rang my wife and asked how she would react if I ‘changed my attitude’ and proposed to involve more than one person in my sex life. I thought she would say she would have my guts for garters, but she said simply, “I would just walk. No woman would put up with such a thing.”

There is a video on the Stand Firm website  which shows last year’s Gay Pride parade in San Francisco. It includes:

• the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (men dressed up as nuns mocking the Church with their motto, “Go forth and sin some more”)
• a woman, hands handcuffed behind her back, led on a dog leash by a man cracking a whip
• a banner promoting Polyamory – covenanted groups of multiple sex partners
• and much more.

All this is the very antithesis of the psalm we shared in this morning’s devotions:

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart ….. (Ps 24:3,4).

Tragically, these people are not ascending but descending.

But you will say, it is the world, not the church that is doing these things. Sadly, this is not so. Starring in the parade is an open-topped car carrying Mr Davis Mac-Iyalla (who is featured in the current CA Newsletter) waving to the cheering crowds. And with him is Marc Andrus, Anglican Bishop of San Francisco. He is leading his flock down the hill. And you can buy a tee shirt with the legend:

San Francisco Pride 2007
The Episcopal Church
Welcomes You

Marching with Bishop Marc

And, sickeningly, you can also buy them for your children (sample adult and child tee shirts held up for Synod members to see).

Archbishop, I have to say that I am marching against Bishop Marc – in precisely the opposite direction. And every one of our bishops has to decide whether he is marching with or against him and his fellow-marchers, who include most of the bishops of The Episcopal Church (USA) and the leaders of Changing Attitude.

So I appeal to you from the bottom of my heart, when you go to Lambeth, to take a principled stand against the Episcopal Church and against pressure groups like Changing Attitude. Our children’s future depends on it.

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