Gay couples can’t have biological kids together. So if homosexuality is genetic, why hasn’t it died out? A study published last week in PLoS One tackles the question.
Earlier this week, the Campaign to End Torture released released a declaration signed by a wide variety of former military leaders, religious leaders and former government officials, that called on President Bush to issue an Executive Order that would clearly ban torture.
by Carol Wade; Art by Nancy Chinn
The mainstream media’s initial responses to the GAFCON statement reveal a variety of interpretation. The British papers think the challenge to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s authority is extremely significant. They also seem to believe that GAFCON participants have said something new about their relationship with the Episcopal Church. That isn’t the case.
Benedictine life is full of reminders that each monk is a sacrament of the presence of God to his brethren. The times of community prayer, for example, are a daily affirmation of the commitment of the community’s members one to another. Sheer physical presence—something that abbots always have to nag monks about—matters immensely.
The final Communique from the Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) has been released and is appearing here and at other places around the web this evening.
So, it’s not about schism, they said repeatedly as GAFCON got underway, and as it wraps up, one emerging line of thought is that it certainly isn’t about schism, nor is it about homosexuality nor even about holding fast to scripture: It’s about power. George Pitcher, writing in the Telegraph, opines that some bishops might be feeling a bit duped at this point if they thought otherwise.
Bishop Pierre Whalon corrects some flawed logic invoked at GAFCON about non-geographical jurisdictions, given his experience overseeing the Convocation of American Churches in Europe, and points out the flaw in trying to use the convocation as a model/precedent/justification for CANA. The Convocation of American Churches in Europe ministers to expatriates, people working or stationed abroad, and immigrants to Europe.
The Cistercian monks of Heiligenkreuz, Austria, made headlines when they were signed to produce an album of Gregorian Chants and again when the album was released in Europe last month and entered the charts in the top 10 in several countries (and at No. 1 in Austria). They are now coping with a flood of publicity that’s interfering with their traditionally contemplative life, and have had to put one monk in charge of public relations.
Kenyan Anglican clergy, gays and allies are sending a strong message of affirmation and inclusiveness to the bishops at the forthcoming Lambeth conference in July-August, 2008. And Kalamazoo students will be performing a play, Seven Passages, at the Lambeth fringe events.