Rev. Sean Major-Campbell was not just washing a woman’s feet, of course, he was making a point: the washing was part of a service in celebration of human rights. Redemption from sin through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross had no place in the service; nor, it goes without saying, did repentance.
It doesn’t seem to have occurred to the foot washing Rev. that without the forgiveness gained through Jesus’ costly sacrifice, we have no rights before God at all; even with forgiveness, everything we have is a gift rather than a right. Had Jesus’ ministry been one of celebrating our rights rather than freeing us from our sin, Christianity would not have endured its early persecution, let alone manage to form a church that would survive long enough to sink into the decadent self-destructiveness of paying the ilk of Major-Campbell to distort its central message.
From here:
An Anglican priest this morning washed the feet of a Jamaican lesbian as part of a service calling for the Church to be more forthright in its demand for the recognition and respect of human rights for all.
Reverend Father Sean Major-Campbell conducted the ritual at the Christ Church in Vineyard Town, where he is also the Rector.
The service, dubbed ‘In celebration of human rights’, was attended by several of Jamaica’s leading human rights groups and advocates.
Perfectly true comment, David. Thank you.
Just further proof that the Anglican Communion is totally shredded with the TEC and the ACoC with the support of the ABC changing allegiance from our Lord and Saviour to that deceptive term “political correctness”. The church is supposed to be a witness to society – not to fall in line with the general views of society or support legislation that is totally contrary to the authority of Scripture.
I see nothing in scripture advocating for civil rights, but lots for civil responsibility – quite the opposite of the modern emphasis. I also see nothing regarding the right to sin. Am I missing something?
Good point Kirk.
By the blood of Christ we are granted forgiveness, not license.
Here are a few passages from the Bible that suggest that we should be advocating for human/civil rights….
Proverbs 31:8-9
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Psalm 82:3
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
An online article said the following:
“Accordingly, in defending the rights of the marginalized, Christians are called to seek the good of their neighbor, even at the expense of their own ‘rights’ and freedoms (1 Cor 8). Being free not to exercise freedom is, for Paul, a supreme testimony to his freedom (1 Cor 9:1). Yet the renunciation of rights presupposes that genuine rights do actually exist and are legitimate, and that on occasions it is appropriate to claim these rights vigorously (cf. Acts 16:37; 25:11). But where the rights of competing parties come into conflict, Christian love may require we waive our rights in order that the rights of the other may be upheld.”
With respect to your second comment about the right to sin, God gave us the freedom to do so. Unfortunately, we all choose to take up the offer.
What sets Christians apart is repentance and forgiveness -with redemption being contingent upon “Go and sin no more “.
Amen to repentance and forgiveness!
If it really was contingent on not sinning again, I think that we’re all hooped.
Wow.
Great insight! The gospel of Matthew 25 warns of what will happened to those who failed to see Christ in fellow human beings
On November 27, 1966, I heard a sermon from a United Church preacher in Port Arthur, Ontario. He said that salvation has three tenses – I have been said, I am being saved, and I will be saved. We were saved from the penalty of sin when we first trusted Jesus as our Saviour. We are in a process of being saved from the power of sin. Someday we shall be saved from the very presence of sin. There will be no presence of sin in the new heaven and new earth. As long as we are alive on this earth, we sin every hour. Sin is still present in our world. We long for the return of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The washing of the feet of the lesbians was not the condoning of their lifestyle, but an act of affirming their humanity. For your information, homosexuals are often dehumanised, abused and alienated and experience pain and rejection. One cannot proclaim the gospel to persons one do not believe to be human beings.
In Anglican liturgy their is always the place for repentance and the service in celebration of human rights had it included.
The act of kindness by Fr Sean actually exposed the hatred and bigotry of “born again” Christianswho need to repent of their self-righteousness and lack of compassion and on the other hand, opened the hearts of some persons who were alienated from the Church and the voice of God.
No one in any way is suggesting homosexuals are not human beings. The problem is that society has been indoctrinated into believing they are an “identity” – a doctrine formed by the GL&B community to accept their lifestyle as normal. As Christians we are indeed directed to show compassion but that does not mean condoning sinful lifestyle as some within the church are more than ready to do. Claiming to bless such activity is one clear example. Apostate bishops and clergy should be removed from office.