Charleston of EDS Issues Statement on Violence Against Homosexuals
Episcopal News Service. October 6, 1999 [99-143]
(ENS) Bishop Steven Charleston, the new president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) in Massachusetts, has issued a statement deploring violence against homosexuals and calling for agreement on human rights for all.
In asking other bishops of the Anglican Communion to join him in signing what he is calling the Cambridge Accord (text in Newsfeatures section), Charleston acknowledged that "we may have contrasting views on the biblical, theological and moral issues surrounding homosexuality," but might agree on three crucial points:
That no homosexual person should ever be deprived of liberty, personal property or civil rights because of his or her sexual orientation.
That all acts of violence, oppression and degradation against homosexual persons are wrong and cannot be sanctioned by an appeal to the Christian faith.
That every human being is created equal in the eyes of God and therefore deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
In a covering letter, Charleston said that "the global persecution of homosexuals has reached alarming proportions." He cited hate crimes in the United States, and public statements by African leaders in Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe "vilifying homosexuals with a claim to justification through the Christian faith. In one instance," he added, "homosexuality has been declared a crime punishable by life imprisonment." The Anglican church is strong in the nations where homosexuality has become an issue and "their bishops need our support in resisting this kind of misuse of the Christian faith," said Charleston.
He pointed out that "our church has been equally in the limelight as a community of faith struggling with issues of homosexuality," raising the possibility that the church "perhaps inadvertently fanned the flames of some misguided and bigoted reaction. Therefore, the responsibility for us to calm the passions of hate become even more acute."
The Accord is "one effective way for us to make a shared witness, across all divisions of theological opinion, to stand united in our Anglican tradition of peace and the protection of human rights," Charleston concluded.
Copies of the Accord have been sent to the archbishop of Canterbury, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, the primate of Canada and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with an appeal that they assist in circulating it to Anglican bishops around the world. "If we are successful with this simple effort, perhaps we can save innocent lives while the dialogue on homosexuality continues in peace and goodwill," he said.
The Rev. Brian Grieves, the church's peace and justice officer, noted the irony of the Anglican Consultative Council refusing the adopt a simple resolution from the Anglican Peace and Justice Network calling for human rights at its recent meeting in Scotland (see separate article). "Clearly, the resolution was not about an abstract issue but one that is life-and-death for many people all over the world," he said, "as represented by the threatening statements of some African leaders."
Charleston, former bishop of Alaska and chaplain at Trinity College in Connecticut, will be installed as president and dean October 15.