Tuesday, May 16, 2006

David Virtue just doesn't get it

In an oddly timed post -- possibly with the aim of throwing red meat to his not so civic-minded readers -- David Virtue has responded, again, to Bishop Chane's Washington Post op-ed decrying Archbishop Peter Akinola's endorsement of Nigeria's anti-gay legislation (pdf). (To those new to the legislation and its supporters, I've discussed it extensively in the last three months.)

But he just doesn't get it. As a practicing Christian, I'm sure Virtue recognizes that imprisoning those who don't agree with him is no way to save their souls. And yet, amidst all his "blasts" and "rips" and "homoerotics", we get this:
The ultra-liberal, pro-gay Washington bishop had written an op-ed article for the Washington POST and reposted in only two orthodox diocesan newspapers - Albany and Pittsburgh headlined; 'A Gospel of Intolerance': The "Gospel" according to John Chane in which he publicly berated and declaimed against the Nigerian Primate for taking a stand against same-sex marriages, accusing him of taking money from wealthy conservative foundations, fomenting schism leading to the formation of "his own purified [Anglican] communion" with himself at the head and much more.
Talk about a non-denial denial. I have yet to see him deal with the core issue -- if he argues for putting gay men and women in jail for speaking their mind, especially over a disagreement on theology, then he is letting ministry turn to persecution. Is he for the conversion of homosexuals or their extermination?

Either way, I find his position odious, but one I can live with, the other I cannot. None of us can. Especially gay Nigerians.

(Image from Virtue's website)