English bishops urged to model acceptance of gays
The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Britain has released a statement calling on the leadership of the Anglican Church in that country to model supportive actions toward its gay and lesbian members and clergy as a way of helping British parents build healthy relationship with their gay and lesbian children. The statement was released as part of the Church of England's participation in the Listening Process begun as a result of the 1998 Lambeth conference.
“The Church has a wonderful opportunity to lead rather than to be dragged along kicking and screaming. Christianity is such an inclusive religion,” said Professor Michael King, an executive committee member of the College’s special-interest group of 200 to 300 psychiatrists who work with lesbians, gay men, and bisexual and transsexual people.His committee has submitted a report to the Church’s Listening Exercise on Human Sexuality, to inform a study guide for next year’s Lambeth Conference. The report, endorsed by the full College “from the President down”, said that there were no scientific or rational grounds for treating lesbian, gay, and bisexual people differently, Professor King said on Monday.
Read the full article here.
Entire text of the RCP statement is here (pdf), or - via Thinking Anglicans - here (html).
So. It's the psychiatrists preaching to the leadership of the Church of England. Shouldn't the church have taken the lead on this issue? And not just in England, but everywhere.
It's good that the bishops at Lambeth will have this report when they meet.
June Butler
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November 16, 2007 9:57 AM