AUSTRALIA/MALYSIA: CHURCH GOERS IN MALAYSIA AND AUSTRALIA UNITE IN THEIR CONDEMNATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF A GAY BISHOP IN THE USA

Record ID: 559111

  • Title: AUSTRALIA/MALYSIA: CHURCH GOERS IN MALAYSIA AND AUSTRALIA UNITE IN THEIR CONDEMNATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF A GAY BISHOP IN THE USA
  • Date: 10th August 2003
  • Summary: (W2) SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 10, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LAS BELLS RINGING AT ST ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL 0.06 2. TV/SV/MCU/SLV OF SUNDAY SERVICE AT CATHEDRAL (4 SHOTS) 1.01 3. MCU (ENGLISH) SENIOR MINISTER CHRIS MORONEY SAYING "I think it's a very unfortunate appointment because it contradicts what the bible says. There's been a traditional and clear understanding of the teaching of the scriptures over many years that the Anglican church throughout the world has accepted. There's a small group of people who have taken a different view and it's in contradiction of what we have understood for many years. I think it's a very sad appointment and I hope that people will reconsider what's happening and change their views and maintain a scriptural framework" 1.32 4. LAS OF CATHEDRAL 1.36 5. MCU (ENGLISH) MORONEY SAYING "I think this appointment may set a trend in other parts of the world but it will certainly make people consider how carefully they read the Bible. I hope it helps people get back to reading the bible and getting back to the teaching of God's word for all people". 1.53 (U2) KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (AUGUST 10, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. SV CHURCH SPIRE WITH KUALA LUMPUR CLOCK TOWER IN BACKGROUND 1.57 7. SLV ST MARY'S CATHEDRAL IN KUALA LUMPUR 2.01 8. SV CHURCH SPIRE 2.04 9. CU CHURCH SIGN 2.08 10. SLV ANGLICANS WALKING INTO CHURCH FOR SUNDAY SERVICE 2.12 11. SV PRIEST AND LAY SERVERS IN PROCESSION 2.18 12. CU INITIATION SERVICE BOOKLET 2.21 13. SV ST MARY'S CATHEDRAL DEAN VERY REVEREND JASON SELVARAJ PERFORMING BAPTISM CEREMONY 2.38 14. SV CHURCH OFFICIALS PRAYING 2.42 15. CU CANDLES IN CHURCH 2.45 16. SV SELVARAJ BLESSING CHILDREN 2.50 17. SV CHURCH GOERS SHAKING HANDS WITH EACH OTHER 2.57 18. SV LAY SERVER BEARING GIANT CROSS INTO CHURCH 3.05 19. MCU (English) CHURCH GOER DULCIE ABRAHAM SAYING: "Gene Robinson has a right to the grace of God in the Church but I have reservations about the office because it is the office in the Church, of responsibility, and part of the responsibility of the bishop is to guard the unity of the Church." 3.19 20. MCU (English) CHURCH GOER RISUG JUTE SAYING: "I think it is totally unacceptable as far as the church is concerned. It is quite acceptable if he is just a member of the congregation but certainly not when he is holding a very high position in the Church. So that is totally unacceptable." 3.43 21. MCU (English) ST MARY'S CATHEDRAL DEAN VERY REVEREND JASON SELVARAJ SAYING: "Well, I think firstly I do not believe that the Scripture encourages the appointment of gay bishops or even gay ministers in the first place so I hold on to that. And secondly I think when you have such considerations, when you have such bishops, it affects the integrity of Christianity as a 4.09 22. MCU (English) ST MARY'S CATHEDRAL DEAN VERY REVEREND JASON SELVARAJ SAYING: "This in no way is a condemnation of the homosexuals. God loves them. God also died for them. I think we have to be clear about that. On one side is the teachings of the Church and the teaching of God as contained in the Scripture, alright. That we need to uphold. Homosexuality in itself is immoral but God loves the homosexual. I wan to make that clear." 4.32 23. MCU (English) CHURCH GOER STANLEY ISAACS SAYING: "I feel that this is the work of Satan to divide the Church and destroy the Church. And we are hoping, I mean speaking as an ordinary churchman, that they would come, these people would come into repentance because I cannot see any other way of correcting them." 4.52 24. MCU (English) THEOLOGICAL LECTURER REVEREND KHOO BOO WAH SAYING: "I think the Church must take some action. You see, we love all the sinners because we are all sinners. By our nature, we are sinners. We need redemption, we need all need salvation from God. But the bishop, if he claims to be redeemed by God, then he should be on God's side, working together with God for the wholeness of wellbeing of mankind and not going against God's way." 5.28 25. LV OF ST MARY'S CATHEDRAL IN KUALA LUMPUR 5.32 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA AND KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
  • City:
  • Country: Malaysia Australia
  • Reuters ID: LVA8UOM1YFJ0KCTT3WY0CNW8WRHY
  • Story Text: Church goers in Malaysia and Australia united in
    their condemnation of the appointment of a gay bishop in
    the USA


    The leader of the world's 70 million Anglican
    Christians has summoned senior clergy to an emergency
    summit in London to discuss the impact of the appointment
    of a gay Episcopalian bishop in the United States.

    The appointment has split the church and is expected to
    be the burning topic of conversation in congregations on
    Sunday (August 10).

    Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will send
    formal invitations next week to Primates, which include
    archbishops and leaders of the faith's 38 "provinces", to
    attend the meeting in mid-October, which could coincide
    with publication by the church's think tank of a planned
    discussion document on human sexuality.

    On Tuesday last week, the U.S. convention named Gene
    Robinson, an openly gay priest, as bishop of New Hampshire.

    Leaders of other provinces, especially in developing
    countries, strongly opposed the decision, as did
    conservatives in the United States.

    At St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney, Australia, on
    Sunday (August 10) Senior Minister Chris Moroney condemned
    the appointment, describing it as "sad" and "unfortunate".

    He said it contradicted the traditional and clear
    understanding of the teaching of the scriptures accepted by
    the Anglican church worldwide.

    And he hoped people would reconsider and change their
    views.

    Moroney's opposition was echoed across Asia at the main
    Anglican church in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

    "Gene Robinson has a right to the grace of God in the
    Church but I have reservations about the office because it
    is the office in the Church, of responsibility, and part of
    the responsibility of the bishop is to guard the unity of
    the Church," worshipper Dulcie Abraham told Reuters
    Television after Sunday service.

    "I think it is totally unacceptable as far as the
    church is concerned. It is quite acceptable if he is just a
    member of the
    congregation but certainly not when he is holding a very
    high position in the Church. So that is totally
    unacceptable," Risug Jute, another worshipper, said.

    The Dean of St Mary's Cathedral, the Very Reverend
    Jason Selvaraj, said the appointment of gay bishops is
    against Christian teachings.

    "Well, I think firstly I do not believe that the
    Scripture encourages the appointment of gay bishops or even
    gay ministers in the first place so I hold on to that. And
    secondly I think when you have such considerations, when
    you have such bishops, it affects the integrity of
    Christianity as a whole, in other parts of the world
    especially in Africa, in Asia and in Latin America,"
    Selvaraj told Reuters Television
    But he said the Church does not condemn homosexuals.

    "This in no way is a condemnation of the homosexuals.

    God loves them. God also died for them. I think we have to
    be clear about that. On one side is the teachings of the
    Church and the teaching of God as contained in the
    Scripture, alright. That we need to uphold. Homosexuality
    in itself is immoral but God loves the homosexual. I wan to
    make that clear," Selvaraj said.

    Stanley Isaacs, a worshipper at St. Mary's, held out
    the view that Robinson's appointment wass the work of the
    devil.

    "I feel that this is the work of Satan to divide the
    Church and destroy the Church. And we are hoping, I mean
    speaking as
    an ordinary churchman, that they would come, these people
    would come into repentance because I cannot see any other
    way of
    correcting them," Isaacs told Reuters Television.

    Theological lecturer Reverend Khoo Boo Wah said
    Robinson should repent and work with God.

    "I think the Church must take some action. You see, we
    love all the sinners because we are all sinners. By our
    nature, we
    are sinners. We need redemption, we all need salvation from
    God. But the bishop, if he claims to be redeemed by God,
    then he should be on God's side, working together with God
    for the wholeness of wellbeing of mankind and not going
    against
    God's way," Khoo said.




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