Episcopal panel to examine gay rights
Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News
Published October 11, 2006 at midnight
The ongoing culture war among America's Episcopalians has spurred Colorado Bishop Rob O'Neill to create a task force to examine gay rights issues "in light of the changing landscape of our church."
O'Neill announced the panel during last weekend's state convention, in Denver, which he described Tuesday as a "positive experience," but which one prominent conservative priest/theologian said was marked by a "screaming match" as liberal and conservative forces squared off.
It became apparent that underneath the surface there is a deep, deep division," said the Rev. Ephraim Radner, a Pueblo pastor, Yale educated theologian and author of books on the future of the church.
Unrest, lawsuits and division have dogged the Episcopal Church USA since 2003, when it approved the naming of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire and OK'd the development of same-sex blessings.
At the time, O'Neill, who favors extending gay rights in the church, created a task force to assess the situation in Colorado's 35,000-member diocese. It concluded that same-sex blessings should be put on hold until the issue stabilized nationally.
O'Neill said Tuesday that his new task force will "revisit the agreements we made three years ago."
He said he hasn't decided on participants, but said the panel will be a diverse group of liberals, conservatives, and gay and straight members.
"Many people want to make this a referendum on sexuality," he said. "It's not."
"This diocese is not falling apart," he added. "We're more together than we've been in years."
Radner, however, said "pandemonium broke out" at the convention between the gay rights faction and conservatives as each tried to make statements.
The bishop characterized the confrontation as "one angry moment at the microphone."
"Which doesn't mean we don't have issues," O'Neill said, adding that he supports Radner's "desire for unity."
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