Episcopal Theologian: Bishop Robinson's Admission Should Prompt Prayer, Compassion

by Jim Brown and Jenni Parker
February 22, 2006

(AgapePress) - - A conservative Anglican leader is expressing sadness over an announcement from the Episcopal Church's first openly homosexual bishop that he is in a treatment center for alcoholism.

Homosexual Bishop of New Hampshire, Vicki Gene Robinson recently told his diocese that he is an alcoholic and would be in a rehabilitation clinic for the entire month of February. Robinson described his alcohol problem not as a failure of will or discipline on his part, but rather a "disease" his body has no control over.

Prominent Orthodox Anglican theologian Dr. Kendall Harmon was saddened upon hearing the Episcopal bishop's news and was immediately moved to compassion and led to pray for him, which, the conservative Anglican says, "I hope would be every Christian's reaction."

Harmon, who serves as Canon Theologian for the Diocese of South Carolina, says he regards the New Hampshire bishop's news as "another reminder to the whole Christian community in North America about the challenge of alcoholism and the fact that people can be alcoholics for significant periods of time, and even those very close to them don't know it."

In response to the Robinson announcement, conservative Anglican David Virtue has posted an entry on his website with the heading "SEE, I TOLD YOU SO." In his commentary, he compares Robinson's "spin" on his alcoholism as a physiological dependency over which he has no control to the similar rhetoric used by homosexual activists who claim homosexuality is a genetic or inborn trait rather than the result of their own sinful choices.

Virtue, whose Internet site -- VirtueOnline -- is touted as "The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism," takes issue with the Bishop of New Hampshire's characterization of his drinking problem. The web commentator calls Robinson's ostensible claim to "being a victim of his own physiology" a betrayal of the truth that he, like all who sin, "separates himself from almighty God, and it is only through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have newness of life."

In concluding, VirtueOnline's webmaster spoofs the Simon and Garfunkel song, "Mrs. Robinson," reminding the bishop that "Jesus loves you more than you can know." Harmon, however, has difficulty with the occasionally satirical tone Virtue takes in linking Robinson's alcoholism to his homosexual lifestyle and calls it "unhelpful."

Harmon points out that alcoholism runs deep in many Episcopal circles. Bishop Robinson's news is "a wakeup call to the churches," the Canon Theologian asserts, "and I'm sure that a lot of people in New Hampshire are going to be asking themselves hard questions."

Unfortunately, many parishes in the church "mimic an alcoholic culture," Harmon adds. The main thing Christians should do in light of this announcement, he says, "is to use [the bishop's admission of his problem] as a wakeup call ourselves and pray, as we would hope we would be prayed for if we were in the same predicament."