Retiring Archbishop of Wales urges Anglicans to rethink traditional belief same-sex relationship is sinful

While Australia is considering holding a plebiscite on same-sex marriage, the retiring Archbishop of Wales is urging Anglicans to reconsider their traditional belies that a gay or lesbian relationship is sinful. Dr Barry Morgan, in his final address to the Church’s governing body, insists sex in a committed same-sex relationship is perfectly “proper.”

Although there are biblical texts often cited to condemn homosexuality, Morgan says these verses could be interpreted in more than one way. He points out that passages from the Old Testament and New Testament effectively contradict each other on topics such as the status of eunuchs in Jewish society to use of violence for retribution.

He explains, “What all this shows is that within the Scriptures themselves, there are radical shifts in understanding in what it means to discern the will of God,” quotes The Telegraph. He discourages quoting texts from parts of the Bible in a simplistic way without referencing their contexts.

Morgan advocates for Christianity to welcome people “excluded, marginalised, and abandoned by society.” He does not call for abandoning the Bible but to interpret it in a way consistent with the main thrust of Jesus ministry to minister to people considered by religious leader then as impure and unholy.

The archbishop’s statement comes after Rev Nicholas Chamberlain, Bishop of Grantham, admitted last week he is in a same-sex relationship, but he observes celibacy. Morgan rejects a celibacy requirement for people in same-sex relationship, explaining, “Christians have discovered that most people flourish best when this living for others finds its focus in a commitment to one other person: when a couple make a lifelong commitment within which sex properly belongs.”

If it is the case for married people, “Why would we want to deny such a possibility for those who are attracted to their own gender?” Morgan asks.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, in an opinion piece for Guardian Australia, Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce writes against the proposed marriage equality plebiscite for being expensive and unnecessary, harmful to LGBTI people and the wrong way to decide an issue involving “basic equality and rights.” On the same day, LGBTI groups, including Australian Marriage Equality and Australians for Equality released a joint statement turning down the proposed plebiscite.

Even scientific breakthroughs appear to favour same-sex relationships with a British landmark experiment discovering a method to create babies without a female egg, which opens the door for two men to conceive their own children. In South Africa, the DNA of two men were used to father triplets.

VIDEO: CofE bishop reveals he is in gay relationship

Source: BBC NEWS AUDIO