(1) Anglicans

More than 100 leading Australian Anglicans have accused the previous Archbishop of Canterbury of disloyalty, as divisions over homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican church deepen. The Anglicans have written to Dr George Carey, the previous spiritual head of the church, accusing him of undermining his successor, Archbishop Rowan Williams, and offering himself as an alternative leader. Dr Carey recently confirmed 300 American evangelicals who do not accept their own bishops because they supported the election of an openly gay priest as Bishop of New Hampshire. The letter is signed by 120 Anglicans, including four Australian bishops … (Barney Zwartz ‘Anglicans furious at former archbishop’, Melbourne Age, 27 Apr. 2006)

(2) Catholics

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini … said that while abortion was regrettable, ‘any person must be respected who, hopefully after much reflection and suffering, in extreme cases follows their conscience, even if they decide on something that I do not approve of’. (Malcolm Moore ‘Cardinal defies Pope on AIDS’, Sunday Age, 23 Apr. 2006)

(3) Presbyterians

I was astonished and disappointed to see in ‘New Life’ (9 March) an anonymous letter calling me irresponsible and apparently malicious. I refer to the letter criticising ‘The Age’s’ reports about [a cultic body known as] the Fellowship … As religion editor of ‘The Age’, I am the author of those reports.

First, I defend ‘The Age’s’ action. This was an important story: unprecedented action by the Presbyterian Church disciplining what has widely been identified as a cult and acting in the interests of all Presbyterians …

Second, ‘New Life’. No reputable paper anywhere publishes anonymous letters simply because the correspondent would be uncomfortable to be identified with his or her opinions. Every media organisation I have worked for - and there are several - considers such cowardice to be contemptible, and it should not be aided by Christian publications … (Barney Zwartz, letter in New Life, 27 Apr. 2006) (Incidentally, the virulence of the exchange on this topic led to a rapid editorial retreat: ‘This correspondence is now closed - Ed.‘)

While most of us tend to favour the more liberal side in these disputes, it’s actually more useful if a rough balance of power is maintained over a long period of time thereby depleting as many ecclesiastical resources as possible. In terms of rights and wrongs though, it’s quite straightforward. Anglican traditionalists simply don’t know enough about the formation of the Bible. Catholic traditionalists have no idea how important ‘primacy of conscience’ is to the survival of their religion. And may all the plagues of Egypt descend on both houses of Presbyterianism.

Filed in: General