These people met all the candidates, as did I and many non-delegates, and we prayed and inquired of God about their choice and vote. I know of others who apparently did not bother meeting the candidates, including one who told me, wouldn’t it be great for Gene to be bishop, as she knows him.

Had I realized ahead of the vote that this election was orchestrated, I would have spoken up against it. I (and others) thought that Gene’s name was included as he was a local, just to not cut him off too early. How wrong I was. I have previously written a piece about this, which was posted on TitusOneNine on January 28, 2004. I know more now, and am trying to write this as a more complete version, so that more will come to know what really happened.

I have come to know that the election of Gene Robinson was “rigged”, i.e., carefully planned, for at least a year, and perhaps for several years (with the case against Bishop Righter for ordaining a gay priest, for which our Bishop Theuner was a “judge” some years ago, apparently setting up the framework for thinking upon which the argument and support could be given).

Bishop Theuner had employed Gene Robinson as Canon for many, many years and I have come to find out that he campaigned, cajoled, pushed and twisted arms to secure votes among the clergy.

Delegates were carefully selected, when possible, to be amenable to Gene’s election. Although my priest, David Jones (who has been here since about 1990) told the papers that the Holy Spirit did this, the Holy Spirit clearly led some “not in the pocket” delegates to vote for other candidates.

Within a relatively short time, during which I was devastated and shocked with the outcome, the Lord brought the reading in 1 Kings 22 to me in the One Year Bible, and I was led to understand that this election was done by a lying spirit. Other readings over this period were directed at the latter days and what would happen before the return of Jesus Christ.

That the Holy Spirit could have led the majority to vote for Gene Robinson and left the others to specifically not vote for him makes no sense. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Many left the Church and key persons resigned positions on vestry and church and diocesan offices within 24 hours of the election. Some stayed and prayed and watched what would happen at the General Convention, hoping it would be repudiated.

Before the vote there, some were saying (a) if the people of New Hampshire, who know him, voted for him, who are we to change their choice, and (b) as the Holy Spirit did this, we must go along. As the voting was set up for Gene before the election in New Hampshire and much control was exerted, and the Holy Spirit did not do this, both arguments were erroneous.

Since realizing this sham, I am concerned that nearly $180,000 was spent on bringing people here and making it appear to be an open election. I see why it was done, for it provided an additional argument that Gene was picked out of a field of wonderful candidates, and must be the very best. The other candidates actually had no chance, it being predetermined.

After the disappointing General Convention vote, I was beginning to wonder if I had gotten it wrong, but God, again in the One Year Bible, brought up the same reading about the lying spirit and King Ahab, this time in Chronicles. Confirmation.

Others here know what happened. I was fortunate to meet a few of them at the recent New England Convocation of the AAC. I also met Hugo Blankenship, the attorney who argued the Righter case and who is now counsel for the AAC. I made the connection there about the Bishop Righter case and its effect, and have looked into that decision.

I have heard Gene Robinson give sermons before the election and over a period of some years. His sermons are full of confusion of Scripture. While he talks about supposed good things, they are twisted. He preached that he didn’t know why Abraham would have thought he was to sacrifice Isaac, maybe because that was what all the pagans at the time were doing. That God spoke to Abraham? He also preached about the weeds and the wheat once, saying he was weeds and wheat. Consider what Jesus told His disciples about that parable. Listening to Gene and reading what he has preached, one has to ask whether he is even a Christian, if he has ever heard God’s voice or whether he is just pursuing something for which he has directed himself (to be a bishop) for a long time.

A view of his life, including the “ceremony” for dissolving his marriage in the church and for using the church to put an approval stamp on homosexuality shows me that he uses the church to justify his own behavior and choices.

He spent a number of years here working on redefining the family, now paying off.

Without children obtained by some means, there is no carrying on homosexuality to a next generation (if that works). He said he did not want to be “a gay bishop”, but rather New Hampshire’s bishop, but since his election he has been on a world fame tour and he has engaged in gay marriage advocacy and other causes for homosexuality. His arrogance and pride are observable, as is his lack of concern for those who do not agree.

Furthermore, I heard from one of his cheerleaders after the election that Gene was so busy he did not have time to pray or read the Bible.

I have come to believe that Bishop Theuner is somehow the source and fuel for some of what has happened. His other Canon made it clear that she does not believe in evil and does not believe in many other basics. Those at the church she was sent to in Rochester (when Bishop Theuner fired the rector who was against this election and sticking to more orthodox teaching) told me last Saturday that she said that Jesus was not coming back, and get used to it.

The homosexuality [issue] is on the surface, but beneath it runs (a) disbelief in the authority of the Bible, not stopping just on this issue, (b) belief that Christianity does not have a message that is unique, for all religions are equal and should be respected, and (c) that everyone is saved anyway, i.e., that Jesus died for everyone’s sins, that all are saved, that sin is not relevant at all, and everybody, regardless of what they believe (or do), is going to heaven.

These are serious heresies. People coming in to the church are more at risk than those outside, because those coming in are lulled into believing the church is a fellowship organization to do good things and never hear the real Good News message.

We still have the liturgy, of course, that at this point still says those things, but do people really think about what it says when they recite it. That Bishop Spong is still a bishop with what he has stated he believes makes me very concerned.. Gene Robinson is from New Jersey too. Somewhere this all ties together.

Another observation I make is this: In the beginning of trying to convince the rest of us that homosexuality was okay with God, the arguments were (a) the Old Testament includes a lot of irrelevant things, like mixing cloth and not eating lobsters, (b) the prohibition against homosexuality was not about long-term committed relationships, but about idolatry, (c) men did not do with men what they do with women (not lie with a man as a man lies with a woman), being a “technical” argument, (d) the “old men” who wrote it were not enlightened by what we know now, (e) Jesus said nothing about it, but did love everyone, and (f) Paul was wrong, or maybe just a frustrated homosexual, but anyway talking about promiscuous homosexual sex.

They spent several weeks trying to convince us. Arguments were also made that homosexuality is genetically determined, and there is no choice. If you consider the arguments now, you may find they are different. Having gained “world opinion” (you know who that comes from) that homosexuality is good, just a different choice of lifestyle, this is to be celebrated as diversity, and we now don’t need to make the old arguments. They are only maybe used against us, many of whom have bought into the “inevitability” and “just as good as male/female relationships”, saying that we are obviously unloving and not like Jesus, who would have welcomed this.

In my church I have noted now that everyone is invited to communion “whether you believe in anything or not, no matter what your religion or lack of belief”, taking away the sanctity and importance of the remembrance and repentance for sins. No speaking of “sins” anymore, just “Sin”, in which we all don’t live up to our best.

A talk by our rector a few weeks ago for Alpha about “Why Jesus Died” did not mention sin at all, but talked about “Claudia’s dream” in which she saw a dark place being brought to a light place by the death of Jesus. People in my church are being requested to see The Passion of the Christ preferably with a group from the church and to discuss it at church. We would not want anyone to start thinking about the sins of the world that Christ died for and what we might have to face. (Who was that figure in there opposing Jesus anyway? Satan? An antiquated notion, along with “demons”.)

People who were once committed Christians and teaching others about prayer and meditation on Scripture are now talking about yoga, transcendental meditation and other non-Christian activities. The group at my church planning activities for the year had groups for grief, groups for parents of teens, singles groups, etc. and did not even have “Bible study” on the list, until I asked that it be placed there. But who will teach it? I would, but will I be given the opportunity?

The church is in great need of pledges to make its budget and we do have a very committed Christian new choir and music director. There are those who are committed to Christ, but many have left for other churches. Many cannot put their finger on what is wrong. I have tried to find another church, but feel God wants me to stay here for now as a witness.

The stakes are far higher than just homosexuality or marriage. They are the basic beliefs of the Christian faith, which will be made obsolete by these folk. I feel that they are being led on by Satan and by a lying spirit, but God has also showed me that this is part of what He said would happen. After all, there had to be a Judas, did there not? There also has to be an AntiChrist. God knows what is happening.

There are people coming in to the church who might not have heard God’s true message before, but are they hearing it? Read Jonah. God sent Jonah to the Ninevites (not Jews) long before Jesus Christ. They repented and believed in God, as did the sailors on the boat. God is moving. We are to be sheep among the wolves and wise and watching. We will know who are God’s servants by the love they show for one another.

The proponents of the homosexuality acceptance are often harsh, angry, judgmental and unloving of those who express the Truth. Are we loving of our enemies and praying for them, so that some of these in the church can be brought to a knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and be saved? Are we being diverted by Satan into arguments among ourselves? Can we speak the Truth in love and witness to the Truth? Be sure to look below the surface of this issue and see if “sin” is now a dirty word in your church and whether your church is being taken over by false teaching. Satan’s AntiChrist is not called the antichrist for nothing. This will be coming from within the church, including the False prophet.

Do not be fooled into believing that what is going on is harmless. It is not. It is the power to kill and destroy. It is the power of the world that we have been warned about. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus knew everything, yet He did not preach that sin was unimportant and that homosexuality was okay. It was still a sin punishable by death. Think of the woman caught in adultery. The same is true for Paul. Could or would Jesus, his disciples or Paul or any of the Way say homosexuality was fine?

Some have made teaching that their itching ears want to hear. On the other hand, we have all sinned and we all continue to sin. The constancy of repentance and following of Jesus Christ and turning away from choosing sin if important for all of us. We must stand firm on the basics of the faith. We will be persecuted for doing so, but then it says that, doesn’t it?

As for Gene Robinson: He has more than once compared himself to Christ. He adopted Christ’s reading on the first Sabbath in the Synagogue of Isaiah “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me. I have come to preach….” for his talk recently comparing racial discrimination with homosexual discrimination. He answered, when asked if Jesus was the Way, the Truth and the Life, that he would be the last person to put God in a box.

I am sure others can come up with other examples. God has said to me that Gene’s rise to international involvement and recognition is not unlike what will happen with the AntiChrist.

This is enough. I am sorry that this can have arisen in the Episcopal Church, but we are marching on to the end. I am grateful to be where I am at this point in time and I pray to be a faithful witness for Jesus Christ. I pray that those who have been misled into thinking that this election was by the Holy Spirit will take heart, keep praying and reading their Bibles. Hopefully with shared enlightenment we will be wiser and stronger.

If you have not seen it, don’t let anyone discourage you from immediately seeing Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. The Bible says that in the latter days God will pour out His Spirit on all people. When the Church becomes wrong, God will go around that. It is happening. Keep the faith that has been entrusted to you and speak the Truth in love.

Your sister in Christ,

JoAnn Samson
St. Paul's
Concord, New Hampshire