"The sooner we get away from labels like gay and straight and that dualism...the truth is there are as many sexualities, plural, as there are sexualities in the world. There are as many sexualities as there are human beings," he told his listeners. "Labels are not helpful."

Robinson said there were an enormous variety of sexualities. "What matters to me is mutual non-exploitative sex, love of self and love of neighbor. It is about hearts not body parts. We must have infinite respect for one another and radical respect for the world."

Asked by a parishioner how we teach people about sexuality with the Bible saying that marriage is a sacrament between a man and a woman, furthermore what was the basis for adding on new sexualities, Robinson said, "it is a big question; it is whether or not sex is God's gift or a Pandora's Box? Is it a blessing or a curse?"

Physical intimacy outside of a trustworthy relationship is madness, dangerous and wrong, he said.

Robinson said the message conveyed to most people was that 'sex is dirty save it for someone you love'. "I believe in abstinence before marriage or outside in a committed relationship. Our nakedness is a metaphor for how vulnerable we are. The church's teaching of sex outside of marriage is that you will be hurt unless there is a vulnerability or proven trustworthiness over time. We must respect the dignity of every human being. Marriage is a sacrament, a place where God can show up."

Questioned on how we distinguish between the church and world's view of sexuality and the enormous destruction it caused flowing from the 60s experimentation of our children with anything goes...as long as we love each other, Robinson explained that not anything goes. "We need to demonstrate real love. The world knows that the church practices serial monogamy. We need to walk the talk. What are not right are brief encounters. I don't hear anybody preaching for promiscuity."

"My daughter wound up living with someone before marrying him. What I tried to do was keep an open conversation going with her and I had the opportunity to talk with her. I did not approve of anything goes, but nothing she did could separate my love for her. I don't think setting down rules is helpful. I gave her an 'I' statement about what has been hurtful for me."

When asked how one could tell the difference between the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the authority of Holy Scripture or Malcolm's repressed desires, even leaving aside the seven Scriptures that speak against homosexuality or pleading subjectivism, Robinson said the key was community.

"No one of us can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit; it must be tested by the community. No one should be absolutely convinced that they know the will of God. We do the best we can to discern God's voice. Let's see if it bears fruit. Right now we are hearing different things. I believe [Archbishop] Akinola and I will be in heaven together. We may be apart here [on earth]. He is following the journey as far as he knows how and as I know how. We are going to be in heaven together, God won't have it any other way. We need some patience while we figure this out. We are each being as faithful as we can muster."

Pushed about how we knew whether we were being lead by the Holy Spirit or our own egos, Robinson said the key was "community."

Questioned about why the worldwide Anglican Communion based its teaching on Scripture, and can we set aside the teachings of the church as it has been handed down for new untested knowledge, Robinson said sexual orientation was determined by age 3 certainly well before it is a chosen orientation. It is a given; the lives of gays and lesbians are the new evidence for that. Look at the pain they have suffered at the hands of the church. He said gays and lesbians were jumping off buildings because nobody understood them.

When asked what new knowledge he possessed and what was his source of his authority that a homosexual relationship can be blessed and have we reached a parting of the ways, Robinson replied by asking how many of his listeners had been divorced and remarried. "The seven biblical texts do not apply to the contemporary issue today. We must separate civil rights from religious rites. Marriage is a civil right, and there is marriage as a religious rite.

END

Homosexuality and the Body of Christ: Is There a New Way?

by V. Gene Robinson
Listen to the full audio of this talk in MP3 format.

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/audio/vgr/Bp_Robinson_Remarks_Pt_1.mp3

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/audio/vgr/Bp_Robinson_Remarks_Pt_2.mp3

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/audio/vgr/Bp_Robinson_Panel_Disc_Pt_1.mp3

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/audio/vgr/Bp_Robinson_Panel_Disc_Pt_2.mp3