For his part, Packer described the blessings that many of Canada's Anglican bishops' are willing to give to active gays and lesbians, as well as the bishops' openness to diverse ways of interpreting the Bible, as "persistent unrepentant doctrinal disorder."

The author of the 1973 book, Knowing God, which alone has sold more than three million copies, said it is "utterly tragic" that some conservative Anglicans felt they had no option but to leave the Anglican Church of Canada.

Asking himself why God would allow "poisonous liberalism" and its views of God and homosexuality to grow and flourish in Europe and North America, Packer said it must be so the West would eventually realize how dangerous such ideas are -- "so the poison will be fully squeezed out."

Packer maintained it is top leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada, not he and more than 2,000 fellow conservatives in the Anglican Network in Canada, who have changed their interpretation of Christianity since he moved from Britain to Canada more than 29 years ago to teach at Vancouver's Regent College.

"I'm simply being an old-fashioned mainstream Anglican," Packer said.

The Bible teaches, he said, that people who feel erotic attractions to people of the same gender "are called by God to remain chaste," avoiding sexual relationships.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Anglican Church of Canada • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings

1. dwstroudmd+ wrote: One less embarassment for the ACCanada.  Now if they just get rid of the pesky folks who want to believe the Creed…........  Soon they’ll be all grown-up just like their beloved big sister, ECUSA/TEC, and able to handle statistics with equal aplomb to the PB Schori.  Growth is worsening decline.  Ecclesiastical flatulence (though they are pretty close on that already) will become more sonorous.  And the skilled art of law suits will beat their pruning forks into swords.  What could be better than following ECUSA/TEC/GCC/EO-PAC?  Apparently nothing. April 27, 8:10 pm | [comment link]

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