Angered by these charges the laity, including senior wardens from several orthodox parishes, fired back a letter to the clergy saying that such "statements as these only increase the tensions of a divided church."

"There is no question we are in very serious disagreement over the basic tenants of our faith, in particularly the issues of human sexuality. But in all due candor, we must ask who brought these highly controversial issues that defy more than 2,000 years of Christian teaching to the church in the first place and was the common good of the church ever considered?"

"Gays and lesbians and their advocates elected to pursue authorization of rites for "same sex unions" and the consecration of an openly practicing homosexual bishop despite the recommendations of the Episcopal Church's own 2003 Theology Committee of the House of Bishops. The committee advised against pursuing the sexuality issue legislatively, knowing the Church was clearly not of one mind on the issue and that schism could likely result."

"It should be remembered that from the outset the Primates of the Anglican Communion advised against the steps taken at the 2003 General Convention. Since then, an emergency Primates Meeting, the Windsor Report, the Primates Communique and an Anglican Consultative Council meeting has been held and the Episcopal Church was requested to voluntarily withdraw from the Communion until Lambeth 2008. All of these instruments of unity affirmed the problematic nature of the steps ECUSA has taken and affirmed the agreed teaching of Lambeth 1.10 on human sexuality," they wrote.

The clergy in their letter wrote, "We say here unequivocally that the weightier matters of God's law-justice and mercy and faith-must not be neglected because of scrupulosity." They cited Matthew 23:23-24.

"Our concerns over justice in matters of sexual orientation and identity are submerged in the larger tide of humanity crying out to God for relief from its suffering." The clergy cited numerous social justice issues concluding, "it is ironic in 2005 to assert the need for the Church to engage seriously the issues of social justice in our society."

The laity fired back saying, "While we value the considered opinions of this group of clergy as we value their membership alongside us in the Body of Christ, the particularly confrontational passages clearly do not emanate from the integrity and candor promised in the letter's opening paragraphs."

More importantly, they argue, these same clergy consistently refuse to address the key questions people have about what behavior is inherent in that self-categorization that we should hold up to God for His blessing or what the true consequences are (medical and sociological) to our children and neighbors if they enter a behavioral lifestyle we still believe is proscribed by scripture.

The orthodox laity noted that independent studies indicate that nearly 70% of Americans reject the homosexual agenda, "yet because of the illusion of massive support created by gay activists, most take for granted that homosexual "marriage" will eventually become legal in our civil law - and ultimately in the Church. Because reason and justice are fundamental tenets of both Christian religion and of our American democracy, 'homosexualists' have successfully framed the debate in terms of civil rights, privacy, and victims' rights."

They said that the American people have become so deluged with specious arguments and half-truths in this mock "debate" that the average citizen or parishioner has become reluctant to even question homosexuals with either the facts or the consequences of their behavior for fear of certain contempt.

The members of the diocese who the gay and lesbian clergy commend "for steps taken to bring about the full and equal membership of gay and lesbian Christians" most assuredly do not include many of us who believe those steps are not only incompatible with Christian and Anglican beliefs, but serve to dangerously undermine the gracious promise of Christ's wonderful transformation not only to us, but equally to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in Christ, they wrote.

"Christ has a reason for everything though, and all churches now have an opportunity to reflect on which direction they will take. It is time for us to stop confronting one another and find a way to resolve these differences in a Christian manner. The Windsor Report recognized the gravity of this crisis and offers a way forward for the Episcopal Church and the entire Anglican Communion, and calls upon the Episcopal Church to choose to 'walk together or walk apart.'"

"We must heed that call for unity, and conform to the Episcopal Church U.S.A. Constitution, Canons, and Prayer Book identity, declaring ourselves and acting as a constituent member of the Anglican Communion," they concluded.

END