Carey and Tutu wade into conflict over gays

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/18/ngays118.xml

[Telegraph] 20 Nov 2007--The Anglican Church will be hit next week by a new row over its "obsession" with homosexuality.

Two of the Church's most respected figures are to deepen the growing rift over gays, which already threatens the biggest split in the Anglican movement since it began four centuries ago.

In attacks that will be seen as aimed at the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, both his predecessor, Lord Carey, and the South African archbishop Desmond Tutu take conflicting views on the issue.

The South African Nobel Peace Prize winner accuses the Anglican movement of being "almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality". He says that under Dr Williams's leadership the church became "extraordinarily homophobic" during the debate over whether Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, should be allowed to be the Bishop of New Hampshire.

Lord Carey accuses liberals of being "unbiblical" and undermining marriage by supporting gay partnerships.

His outspoken defence of the right of Christians to say that homosexual behaviour is wrong is in marked contrast to the tone of his successor, who has adopted a more conciliatory approach.

Insisting that he will "stand firm" against the pro-gay agenda, Lord Carey says that traditionalists should not be considered homophobic for saying that same-sex relationships are not acceptable.