Rite & Reason: Current heartbreak in the Anglican communion could have been avoided if it had put biblical truth above popular appeal, writes Susan Philips.
The recent meeting of world Anglican Church leaders in Newry was an attempt to take the heat out of the growing rift within the Anglican communion. It resulted from both the ordination of the practising gay bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire in 2003 and Canada's decision to bless same-sex marriages.
These two issues pit arguments for basic civil rights against deeply held religious beliefs and threaten to split the church, or at the very least result in perpetual conflict.
Yes, there may be strength amid diversity, Anglicans argue, but traditionalists see this as meaning a richness to be found within diverse cultures rather than between textual interpretations.
But what might at the outset have seemed merely a rift between the liberal North Americans and the conservative African/Asian churches - with an embarrassed Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, somewhere in the middle - is now much more than just a cross-continental divide.
Within the US a huge split is emerging among the Episcopalian Church and many conservative congregations are forming themselves into an alliance which is totally opposed to any papering over of the cracks.
The controversial ordination in 2003 may have had the approval of a majority of the US bishops, but this support is not being reflected in the ordinary membership.
The Newry conference was held in an attempt to respond to last year's Windsor report, which had recommended that the US Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada express regret with the worldwide communion for breaking ranks with their liberal agendas.
Conservatives, hoping that apologies and remorse were to be the order of the day, had to settle for the resulting communique which requested that the Episcopal church (US) and the Anglican Church of Canada voluntarily withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council for the period leading up to the next Lambeth conference.
This rather lightweight gesture was slightly strengthened by a reaffirmation of the 1998 resolution which declared that gay practices were "incompatible with scripture" and opposed gay ordinations and same-sex blessings.
The communique added: "In the meantime, we ask our fellow primates to use their best influence to persuade their brothers and sisters to exercise a moratorium on public rites of blessing for same-sex unions and on the consecration of any bishop living in a sexual relationship outside Christian marriage." Some chance!
Though the suspension of the two churches from the consultative council was said to be temporary, it does in fact mark the first formal split in the communion over the explosive issues of sexuality and biblical authority and many may wonder whether there is any room for recovery.
Among the plethora of opinions from both sides following the communique, probably the most relevant remark came from the presiding bishop of the US Episcopal Church, Frank T Griswold, who said "Clearly, all parts of the communique will not please everyone. It is important to keep in mind that it was written with a view to making room for a wide variety of perspectives."
And, of course, here lies the essence of the problem: for how can the word perspective be attributed to the interpretation of biblical statements when to anyone who can read plain English, sin is described in black and white for all to read.
Christianity, by definition, presents not only an absolute list of sins causing us to be separated from God but also an absolute method (Jesus) for forgiveness and restoration as we attempt to make the Christian journey into holiness.
Postmodernists have created their own idea of behaviour norms and patterns based on their own feelings and philosophies. But if you are a follower of Jesus, traditionalists argue, the boundaries of morality are clearly set out.
Sin is sin and, according to the Bible, we all fall short and need forgiveness. And here we are not just talking about biblical teaching on homosexual practices: we are talking about all the other sins to boot, such as adultery between heterosexuals, murder, theft, fraud and even wrong thoughts.
The Christian church should open its doors to everyone who wants to enter but its leaders should reflect a personal willingness to follow the rules as laid out in the "constitution".
Traditional American Episcopalians are exercised by the concept that leadership must be provided by those attempting to follow the rules and not, as many suggest, with gay-bashing and discrimination towards minorities and fellow sinners.
The argument is not that gay people in the Episcopalian church should be thrown out; rather that the leadership should not be provided by those who continue to flout the rules with a distorted view of scripture.
With this in mind, a number of Episcopalian churches within the US are putting themselves under the authority and pastoral care of African bishops such as Bishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and others in Nigeria and Uganda.
This is an action without precedent and constitutes a breaking of geographical boundaries and a further step towards a split.
Much of this heartbreak could have been prevented if the church had put biblical truth, however unpalatable, above popular appeal.
Susan Philips is a synodswoman of the Church of Ireland