Larry King Interviews Panel on Homosexuality and the Church; Tone Sounds Just Like ABC Conversations

Larry King feted an impressive panel of experts tonight. Dealing with homosexuality in the church, Episcopal Bishops Frank Griswold and Gene Robinson, Rev. Jo Hudson of The Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, and Time columnist Andrew Sullivan held forth in favor of acceptance of gay sex while Canon David Anderson, Roman Catholic Father Michael Manning, and Southern Baptist Al Mohler all defended the traditional view.

Rev. Griswold, Presiding Bishop, ECUSA, answered Larry’s question about where do “you stand,” with the answer: “Gays have a privileged place in our church and are integral to our ministry.” He cited that a “diverse center” is the overwhelming reality of the ECUSA and that “mission is what galvanizes Episcopalians.” Citing Jesus’ Upper Room discourse, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:12-13), he averred that it is one of the roles of the Holy Spirit to continue leading us into all truth, even that which is new and “beyond” the previous revelation. Griswold cited science and its relentless march of progress as an example of this principle in the secular arena.

Mohler kept returning to the theme of grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ and the necessity of holding to biblical authority. “The Gospel is about repenting of sin not celebrating it . . . A church that worships diversity is destined to accept a death knell.”

Erie echoes of ABC point-counterpoint rhetoric reverberated chillingly during the hour long program. The pro gay-sex proponents stuck with themes of love, acceptance, and an evolving understanding of God’s will progressively revealed to us since New Testament times. Presiding Bishop Griswold even used some of the same vocabulary as Dr. Medley in defending the “large center,” “great diversity of understandings of the Bible,” and sense that “mission is what galvanizes” most Episcopalians.

Similarly, Al Mohler’s emphasis upon “biblical authority” and transformation of sinners by grace, balanced by somber warnings of a worship of diversity leading to denominational demise sounded strangely reminiscent of people on the right in the ABC such as Durable Data and your humble blogger.

[His Barking Dog not only reads but watches television now and then. But, my comments on televised shows are NO more than my own ramblings and rumblings while sitting in a hotel room in humid southern Indiana.]