'Don't allow them to play the victim'

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8470

[VirtueOnline] 24 Jun 2008--The Bishop of Durham has expressed his concern that pro-gay liberals in the Anglican Communion should not be allowed to play the victim at next month's Lambeth Conference.

Tom Wright says he has no "secret blueprint" for the outcome of the Conference. But he does not want a "parliamentary-style debate" ending in a "put up or shut up"-resolution. "The Windsor Report has made it very clear that if the Americans and Canadians abide by their action, it is they who decide to walk apart. They cannot then any longer claim the moral right to a place at the table. But if they could say "We are being kicked out, they're being mean to us", they could assume the victim role. And we must not allow that to happen."

The Lambeth Conference is the ten-year gathering of Anglican Bishops from around the world. This year some 300 out of a total 880 will be absent, because they have no confidence that Lambeth will solve the crisis that the Anglican Communion was plunged into five years ago with the ordination of the practising gay Bishop Gene Robinson in the United States.

Within hours in Jerusalem, GAFCON will kick off, a one-off meeting of evangelical leaders - mainly from Africa, but also from Australia, the Americas and England - wishing to make a fresh start as an orthodox, Bible-believing, missionary Church. Bishop Tom Wright is not attending, although he shares their concerns.

Speaking to the Dutch evangelical newspaper, Nederlands Dagblad, the Bishop of Durham says his hopes for the Lambeth Conference are that "the solid Christian orthodoxy that Anglicanism has always stood for, will be explored and reaffirmed".

"God can do unexpected things. Maybe some Americans will be brought to scratch their heads and wonder if they are going the right way. Not all of them will. But the mood might change, like the political winds change sometimes."