[Magdalen] TEC suspended from Anglican Communion

[Sally Davies]

Yes, isn't it just.

Perhaps one good outcome of the very protracted liberation struggle in
South Africa (that saw the ANC labeled "Africa's least successful
liberation movement"), is that we had time to work out some of these
things, and time for women to step forward - including it must be said,
Muslim women who played an important role and still do.

Islam is a good fit for African people and has spread widely in all parts
of the Continent, including here though in our case it came from either
Indonesia or India. In particular, the collectivism of the "ummah" appeals
to African sensibilities as well as the tolerance of polygamy, which was an
issue right off the bat with Christian missions.

I just think it's important to be aware of the astonishing growth of
Pentecostal churches throughout Africa and particularly Nigeria. Virulently
homophobic, centered around (male) personalities, convinced of male rights
to authority, and far more creatively capitalistic than Islam will ever be.

The appeal of these churches is in the "magical" thinking, healing and
deliverance rituals which is much closer to traditional African religions
than Islam with its rigorous Koranic studies and law-obsession.

The TEC story is on Sky - and predictably it looks as though the story will
be what the newsmakers want it to be, i.e. Controversial and
sensationalist, and this will be what most people believe.

Sally D

On Friday, 15 January 2016, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 1/15/2016 12:43:21 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> sally.davies at gmail.com <javascript:;> writes:
>
>
> So,  I'm fairly sure that the GAFCON stance has little to do with  popular
> pressure in Islamic regions, where people are too busy struggling  to
> survive and where terrorism has become a constant  threat.>>>>>>
>
>
> I've heard the story over and over that Islam is a better fit for
> converting Africans from undeveloped countries than is Christianity
> in its liberal version of sexuality because, as you say, many, if not
> most traditional African communities are homophobic.  Maybe
> this line of reasoning is wrong, but it is widespread.
>
>
> So by disassociating themselves from TEC, etc., someone like ++Uganda
> can say his version of Anglican Christianity is equally compatible,
> at least in the matter of human sexuality.  This is not a sweeping
> statement
> on all the moral/political/social aspects of those communities.
>
> That Africa was evangelized by a rigid Evangelical Anglican stripe  is
> unfortunate and adds to the line of division from the Western  Anglican
> churches.  I am happy the Evangelicals did their proselytizing, but  it
> is too bad other mainstream Anglican viewpoints weren't added to the
> mix.
>
> Just sayin'
>
>
> David Strang.
>
>
>
>
>
>