Free Download
Download 'Too Hot', an exclusive Specials track from iTunes
Navigation - link to other main sections from here
For God’s sake
Archbishop Akinola of Nigeria, the world’s most powerful Anglican leader, tells Religion Correspondent Ruth Gledhill that his conservatism is the true faith and that evangelism can combat Islamic terrorism
When Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria, consecrated 20 bishops in a single service, an observer asked how this was possible. He replied: “You have not seen anything yet.” This is a man whose name strikes fear into the souls of Western Christian leaders. Heading a Church of nearly 20 million practising Anglicans, he is the most powerful leader in the Anglican Church. While churches are closing in the US and Britain, he cannot open them fast enough. If things continue as they are, his could well be the future face of worldwide Anglicanism. Time is running out for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to avert schism.
Dr Akinola has become a totem of conservatism in the debate over homosexuality. The irony is not lost on him that he is attempting to preach a gospel back to England that was brought to his country by English missionaries in the mid-19th century. To modern, liberal, Western eyes, Dr Akinola is at the most extreme end of fundamentalist Christianity. Few can imagine the “broad” Church of England being led by such a man – but in Nigeria he is at the more liberal end of the Christian spectrum. More importantly, he is in the front line of relations between Christianity and Islam. In the northern, Sharia states of Nigeria, Christians have been driven from their looted homes, even murdered. The relationship with Islam is central to his ministry and he has found a way to counter Islam without violence: it is called evangelism.
I met this enigmatic Archbishop, who in his 63 years has never given an interview to a British national newspaper, in his office in the Abuja diocese. In the small room up a narrow stairway, the most ornate structure was a set of beautifully crafted wooden shelves that this former carpenter designed himself. “God has used my upbringing in carpentry to bear in my work as a bishop,” he says. He wouldn’t be the first to say so. He wore a clerical shirt with no collar, a cross around his neck. His feet were bare. The contrast between this and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s splendid palaces in Lambeth and Canterbury could not have been greater.
Anglican leaders from Africa are portrayed in the West as homophobic fundamentalists whose adherence to biblical truths is born of no more than an ignorance of modern exegesis. “I have been so demonised by the Western media,” says Dr Akinola. “I tell people when they talk about this, Christ had it so much worse. If this is the price I have to pay for leading the Church at this time, so be it. They can punch me here, punch me there, but in the midst of all that are people who say Akinola is the right thing.”
His reluctance to be in the public eye has been perceived as arrogance. The impression in the West has been of a man determined to wrest leadership of the Anglican Church from Canterbury. “I kept on saying you do not have to go through Canterbury to get to Christ.” In the pulpit, few can match his fiery passion. Outside it, he is strangely diffident.
The land in Nigeria is strewn with enormous stones. Massive boulders teeter on top of others. They look as though they could fall at any moment, but have been there for centuries. His friends say of Peter Akinola that, as his name suggests, he is “hewn from the rock”. There is a stubborn stillness about him. His church has broken communion with the Episcopal Church of the US over the ordination in 2003 of the openly gay bishop Gene Robinson. Dr Akinola will not contemplate going back into communion with the US unless they abandon completely the liberal gay agenda. It will never happen.
Akin, a common name in the western part of the country, means courageousness, boldness, warlike valour. Ola means wealth and prosperity. With his own business and a Vespa scooter in the 1960s, he was indeed heading for a life of prosperity when he was called to give it all up and follow Christ into the seminary. But he almost had no adult life at all. As a young man, he told me, he narrowly escaped being a victim of a ritual sacrifice. His body parts were to be made into “concoctions”, he said, and sold. He was vulnerable because, when he was 5, his father, who would have protected him against such abuse, died. “Unfortunately my father died on December 12, 1948, before I could get to know him,” he says. “Before he could make any impact on my life he was gone. So my mother had the responsibility of bringing me up.”
He was sent to live with a paternal uncle who was a carpenter, and was not sent to school until the age of 10. “I grew up in a very hard way.” At 16, he wanted to go to secondary school, but was sent instead to northeastern Nigeria to learn a trade. From there he was apprenticed as a cabinetmaker in Lagos. He was living with a relative. “Very ugly things happened to me while I was there,” he says. “Another uncle of mine was not thinking well of me. He was going to sacrifice me for a ritual to make money. That is one of the mysteries of my life. God is gracious. It is a very long story. But let me just say I had premonitions. I saw a very clear vision of what was going to happen. The following day, things began to happen the way I saw them. It was not a dream, it was a real vision. It was a serious matter. Frightening. Overwhelming.
“But I came out of the house to go to where I was supposed to be sacrificed and I saw this figure far away at the other end of the road, beckoning me to come. In white. I ran and ran and ran. The faster I ran, the further distance between me and the figure. I never found it. I believe very strongly that the Lord was taking me away from that dungeon.”
When Dr Akinola was growing up it was common, especially in the southern part of the country, for every family to have both Muslims and Christians among their number. On Sunday, the whole family would troop off to church, and then on Friday they went together to mosque. Although in the southern part of the country Muslims and Christians still live together in harmony, there are 12 states in the north where Sharia, or Islamic law, has a hold, and some Christians have suffered.
“We began to see certain threats in the north,” says Dr Akinola. “Religious disturbances, crises, rioting, to the extent that Christians were killed and maimed and properties looted.” His response was informed by his missionary vocation. “By virtue of our religion we cannot fight because we are told, if you are slapped on the right cheek you must turn your left cheek. Love your enemy and pray for him. So how do we respond to these unprovoked attacks on Christians? Evangelism is the answer. Make the Church grow.”
The bigger the Church gets, the fewer conflicts Christians will face. “That is what we believe. So we have put ourselves into the work of mission very seriously.” The era of bishops living like lords in their own little empires has long gone. “Every bishop in his area is an evangelist,” he says.
When his predecessor, Archbishop Abiodun Adetiloye, stepped down, there were 76 dioceses. He had trebled the size of the church by planting a bishop in every city. “I was the Dean then. We did not know who would be Primate. I said, Baba has finished the work, everything is now done, allelujah! He said, Peter, that is a big mistake you are making because the work is yet to begin. As God would have it, I then became the Primate and we set a vision for ourselves as to how to carry on with this great task.”
He decided to aim for doubling the Church. He is nearly there, with almost 130 dioceses and bishops, including Bishop Martyn Minns, consecrated recently to care for conservative evangelicals in the US. His bishops pastor to nearly 20 million practising Anglicans. That compares with an official tally of 25 million in the Church of England, but a paltry one million of these are churchgoers. Dr Akinola points out that the US Episcopal Church has fewer than two millon worshippers, served by 200 bishops. “If I had the means of supporting them I would have 200, 300 bishops,” he says. “We are growing. There are many reasons why we are growing. We believe we have no option but to take the command of Christ very seriously.”
He says the issues troubling the Anglican communion are of no concern to Christians in Nigeria. This does seem to be the case. I asked one Nigerian diocesan bishop whether he would be coming to the Lambeth Conference next year, the ten-yearly gathering of the communion’s 800 bishops. He was surprised by my question: he thought the conference had been cancelled.
Nigeria’s bishops will not meet to decide about Lambeth until September. Dr Akinola says he does not know how they will decide. But at this point, attendance by Nigeria looks extremely unlikely. And if they stay away, this will mark the start of true schism. The Lambeth Conference is one of the communion’s four instruments of unity. For the Nigerians to attend, the Archbishop of Canterbury would have to invite Bishop Minns, which he will not.
And the Episcopal Church in the US would have to backpedal on its liberal agenda, which would be a betrayal of everything it has struggled for in the past two decades.
Dr Akinola does not deny that homosexuals exist in Africa. “All we are saying is, do not celebrate what the Bible says is wrong. If the Bible says it is an aberration, it is an aberration. Do not do it.” He sees no point in his church attending the Lambeth Conference if the bishops cannot share together in Holy Communion. He begins to get passionate, becoming eloquent in his anger. “The missionaries brought the word of God here and showed us the way of life. We have seen the way of life and we rejoice in it. Now you are telling me this way of life is not right. I have to do something else. Keep it for yourself. I do not want it.”
No Nigerian bishop needs to go to Canterbury to learn how to be a bishop, he says. “No Nigerian Anglican needs to go to Lambeth Palace to learn how to become a Christian. It is all available here. We rejoice in our fellowship, we rejoice in our heritage as Anglicans. We celebrate it. But our unity will never be at the expense of truth, of the historic faith.”
In spite of what Western church leaders fear, he has no ambitions to lead a breakaway church. “That has never been on my mind. This is the media thing. You see we have scripture. We have our traditions. We have not broken the law. It is your churches that are breaking the law. You are the ones breaking the rules. You are the ones doing what should not be done with impunity. We are saying you cannot sweep it under the carpet. Maybe in the past you could get away with it, but not any more. We have aged. So we are not breaking away from anybody. We remain Anglicans. We are Anglican Church. We will die Anglicans. We are going nowhere.”
I ask him about his comments a few years ago, when he was reported as saying that homosexuality was an aberration unknown even in the world of animal relationships. He urges me to see these remarks in their context. A diocese in Canada was moving towards authorising the first Angican liturgy for same-sex blessings. “I was shocked to my marrow the very first time I heard the Church is saying a man can marry a man. What? It is from that shock, that surprise, how is that possible? Is it a kind of experiment or something? They are sick or tired of normal heterosexual relationships? How could that be? That is the context in which I said what I said.”
The demand from the West that his Church liberalise he sees as a gross reimposition of an old imperalism. “For God’s sake let us be. When America invades Afghanistan it is in the name of world peace. When Nigeria moves to Biafra it is an invasion. When England takes the Gospel to another country, it is mission. When Nigeria takes it to America it is an intrusion. All this imperialistic mentality, it is not fair.”
He has been criticised for not speaking out against a new law proposed in Nigeria to make it an offence to promote homosexuality. “The Western world does not have a monopoly of homosexuals,” he says. “They are everywhere in the world. But we do not desire to celebrate it. We see it as a problem that can be treated. There have been a lot of importation of Western values and practices in our country. Now the Western world is highlighting the gay issue as the thing. We realise that if care is not taken, our country will be one where you can do whatever you want to do.” The new law was intended to prevent wholesale importation of Western values and practices, he says. He admits to problems with the specific provisions, which are, to Western sensibilities, draconian. “But what you have there is still much less, much softer than if it were to be sharia. This is our context. On the one hand the Christian community is happy that we have this provision. It is just our hope that it will help to preserve the institution of marriage, family life as we know it. But if it is not passed, fine, we will look for something else. It is purely democratic.”
He is buoyed by the fantastic growth of his Church, and cannot help but note the rate of church closures in the US. “I am not God. I keep saying, this is God’s own church. As bad as things are, I can say with certainty that there are still millions of people whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose lips have not kissed Asherah.” (Baal and Asherah are Canaanite deities that feature in the Bible.)
Like me, he has heard the hope that lights up among Western liberals at talk of his pending retirement, as if once he is gone Nigeria will suddenly cease its evangelical mission. “Someone told me they hope when Akinola retires the Church will revert,” he says. “They are making a big mistake. The Church is already receiving hundreds of people who are better, stronger. I can assure you this is God’s own church and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it. God raised Peter Akinola to what he has done. The same God will raise hundreds of people more gifted than me to get the job done. It is God’s Church not mine.”
He retires in 19 months, and intends to spend his last year as Bishop of Abuja, and then go back home to his village and become a simple preacher again. “I cannot remember God calling me to a position of power. All this stuff about power. It is not me. My motto of life is, the simpler the better. You can ask my colleagues, my bishops, how I operate. Some people say I do embarrass them with my humility.”
Many bishops in the West are looking forward to his retirement, but they might be better sticking with what they know. There are 120 more bishops in Nigeria, all of them with the potential to become the next Primate. If Rowan Williams hopes that by dragging things out, he can delay schism until Akinola retires and then bring Nigeria into line, he’s in for a shock. As Akinola speaks, the fire that has been masked behind his diffidence grows stronger. I get a sense that the battle for the soul of the Anglican Church, for the soul at the heart of Africa itself, has only just begun.
What do you think of the Archbishop’s views? Post your comments below
Archbishop Peter Akinola on child sacrifice: “Sacrifice was common at that time. People who wanted to become rich overnight would go through such rituals. They killed people, some their wives, some their children, some their loved ones. They cut the part they want from the person and make their concoctions … It was acceptable, traditional. If the king said kill someone to appease the gods, so be it. But in Christianity, no. Christ has died for us once for all so we do not need any more human sacrifice.”
On being selected for ordination: “I said vicar, with due respect your salary is £10 a month. In my workshop I make a hundred or two. What are we talking about? To leave my privileged situation and go and be something else? He said, ‘Go and pray’ ... Now I tell my colleagues and upcoming pastors, ministers of the gospel, that no one who ever leaves anything to serve God will ever regret doing so. In my own case God has been so bountiful, so kind so caring that he’s given to me far more riches than I could ever have dreamed of in my life. Spiritually, materially, just name it he’s given me everything in abundance.”
On Gene Robinson: “The problem is Ecusa and the Western church’s way of seeing and handling Scripture. Gene Robinson is just a symptom ... When you are ordained into the ministry of the gospel of Christ a minister is supposed to be a wholesome example to the whole flock. When you have chosen a particular way of life, a particular orientation, you can only be an example to your own little clique. That in itself negates your ordination. So we have been on this now for so many years, so many meetings, so many committees, task forces, pronouncements, communiques, all to no avail. It is like the harder we work, the more difficult it is. So we have broken communion with The Episcopal Church, not just Nigeria but many provinces in the Global South. Our life together is not what it used to be”
On Church unity: “The condition of having communion together is for The Episcopal Church to return to where we were by giving up its agenda … Our unity will never be at the expense of truth, of the historic faith.”
On the Episcopal Church: “Has The Episcopal Church ever listened to anyone? They have not listened to the Lambeth Conference, to the Primates communiques. Who’s kidding who?”
Also in Faith
Also in Comment
Most Read
Skip Most ReadToday
- 101 uses for a man
- Michael Jackson 'rebuilt his nose to ease...
- Man gored to death at Pamplona bull-running...
- Teacher questioned over attempted murder...
Focus Zone
Northern Lights:
Win a luxury weekend to Newcastle and its neighbour Gateshead, find out more here
Business Solutions:
Risk, resilience and embracing new technology
Need to Know:
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Business Wisdom:
Discover the power of collective thinking. Submit a solution and be in with a chance to win a Media Hub Home Entertainment System
Social Entrepreneurs:
The inside track on current trends in the charity, not for profit and social enterprise sectors
Business Travel:
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Great British Summer :
Make the most of the summer and enter our fabulous photographic competition, you could win a £5000 holiday
Corsica Travel:
Corsica is an island of beauty and contrast, an ideal holiday destination
More reports:
Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more
Popular Searches on Times Online
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
Cars
Skip Cars of the Week
The clever way to lease a new car is with Car leasing made simple™
2009
per month on 36-month
Personal Contract Hire (PCH)
2008
42850
Car Insurance
Jobs
Skip Jobs of the Week
£24,250 - £30,346
MI5
London
£60,000
The Environment Agency
Bristol
Up to £90K
Boots
Midlands
OTE £85k
Credit Protection Association
Nationwide Opportunities
Properties
Completely London
Luxury Condo's in Manhattan with NYC views
The best new homes in Wimbledon?
Nationwide
Holidays
Skip Travel of the Week
Fabulous Cruise And Cruise & Stay Offers Including Virgin Atlantic Flights Prices Start From Only £699pp!
Last Minute Cruise And Cruise & Stay Offers. Med From £499pp, Caribbean From £699pp!
5 star quality at a 3 star price.
8 fabulous Canadian cities ...you won’t find cheaper
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths | Subscriptions | E-paper
News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Property Finder | Milkround
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
I first heard about Archbishop Peter Akinola in my www.wayofthemasterradio.com podcasts. He is the stinging and preserving salt and illuminating light Jesus spoke about. Those who preach 'another' gospel (any false one that condones any sin, sexual or otherwise) are in for a rude awakening on judgement day. Not only will they have to answer for their own sins (as their bad fruit clearly demonstrates that they themselves are not saved) but they will have to bear the eternal torment of knowing that they are responsible for the eternal punishment of all the souls they misled. Don't mess around people. God is HOLY and will not be mocked. I might let you off the hook for your sins, so might your friends, and you might win in the court of public opinion. But none of us is the Judge. There's a lot of junk on the internet, and a lot of junk preachers. Read the Bible every day, repent (turn your back on sin) receive His forgiveness, and trust Him completely. He died for you, and He will raise u
Linda, Los Angeles, California
I believe the fundamental issue here is whether or not we agree that the Bible is untainted even in its translation.
The Bible does indicate homosexuality is unpleasant in God's sight. The Bible also says we must love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
A true Christian attitude is to love the person and hate the sin. Bishop Akinola is right in saying homosexuality, by biblical standards, is (like every other sin) "repentable" and must be seen as what it is.
Niyi Ibironke, Bracknell, UK
Reading the interview, I believe that Peter Akinola is sincere in his beliefs, but misguided. He is acting in the same manner as the Roman Catholic Church did when it opposed the concept that the Earth rotated around the Sun. Homosexuality is naturally occurring in over 400 animal species, including humans. Science has yet to pinpoint the cause, but clearly it is not a choice anyone would make if they could help it. I know - I tried for 37 years.
As a gay Christian, Peter Akinola frightens me because his is the very mindset that helps to foster hate, bigotry and violence against gays. Has Akinola forgotten that the Bible was used for centuries to justify slavery? Applying his resoning, the world was wrong to end slavery since the Bible instructs slaves to obey their masters.
I will pray that God enlightens Akinola's hard, cold heart.
Michael Hamar, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
The bishop has made several important points which are worth hearing. He sees homosexuality as an aberration. The late Pontiff John Paul 11 called homosexuality a "disorder." When homosexuality is viewed in light of the natural law there is a concurrence of this "disorder." The Church has the moral obligation to stand for what is morally acceptable and that its ministers and agents be examples of that morality to a world that has become increasingly depraved by it's perversions. The world churches need more bishops like our dear African bishop, and less of the despicable and reprehensibly masquerading demons as is exhibited like Gene Robinson, who is simply a disgrace and dishonor to the Church at large.
Jacque Thompson, Round Lake, Il/USA
It's about time we buried the view that to say something is wrong constitutes hatred and bigotry against those who practice it. In my view, gossip and disrespect are wrong; so is losing your temper, and many other things. If I hated everyone who ever practices those things, I would hate the whole world - including myself!
I have no hatred for homosexuals, and I don't read any hatred in the Bishop's interview. I will stand up and speak out for the right of homosexuals to choose their way of life. But I will also stand up and speak out for the right of Bishop Akinola, and anyone else, to say what he said. Things have gone too far if a man cannot make a measured and rational statement without being irrationally vilified for it. Go Africa!
Bruce Townsend, Hampton, UK
It appears from the posts that hatred and bigotry are still an easy sell. It seems to me (a gay man) that being aginst homosexuality is not too heavy a cross to bear if your are straight. It reminds me of flag waving, a form of patriotism that doesn't require much effort.
Ron, Fargo, ND
I think it is wonderful, that after having brought the faith to Africa, we westerners are now taught how to live it correctly by africans ! Thank You !
Baron Gotthard Manteuffel, Fürstenzell, Germany
Bravo!
Dan, Minneapolis, MN
I think this string of comments shows that though elitists may control media and political correctness, many Christians still "Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions taught, both by word of mouth and by letter" (2 Thes 2:15)
Dan Wegner, Minneapolis, MN
Well done Archbishop Akinola, keep the Biblical truth and the faith once and for all handed down to us (jude 4). The Bible speaks very clearly, we do not like all it says but who are we to talk back to God.
B O'Brien , Ireland, Ireland
Peter Akinola may be in the wrong church. He would probably be more comfortable in the Catholic Church, which would certainly benefit from his viewpoint, wisdom and leadership skills. The Catholic Church is much more concerned with doctrine, theology and tradition than the Anglicans but has had serious problems with exploitative priests and ineffectual bishops. A leader like Akinola could re-institutionalize a discipline that the priests seem to need. The Anglican Church has traditionally been more of a socially concious church adapting itself to the concerns and opinions of important laity or royalty. Gay rights are trendy and it is unlikely that the Anglican Church can be weaned from advocacy of these.
It is interesting that Akinola is trying to fight for the soul of the Anglican Church, but the power base is against him and cannot be convinced by him, unless money stops flowing in.
Good luck to Archbishop Akinola, clearly a very honorable man.
greg starr, oslo, Norway
Christianity has never been a religion for the majority. The Bible says the gate is narrow and the road is difficult. If the gay folks find it difficult to walk on this road, they are free to opt out instaed of staying to pollute it.
To Archbishop Akinola; I want to say to you well done for telling the world the truth. Many Christian leaders who are burying their heads in the sand and running away from the truth will have their master to answer to in Heaven on the day of Judgement. I will rather be on the side of the minority and stand for the truth than aid and abate our poor moral values. Once again I want to thank the Archbishop for an job well done and for giviing genuine Christians world-wide a reason to walk tall
Nosa Idahosa, Fort Wayne Indiana.
Nosa Idahosa, Fort Wayne, USA
Morally relative Westerners can squeak all they want, but it is by their fruits we shall know them: there is no vigor or vitality in an endlessly malleable faith that, like HumptyDumpty's "glory," means whatever we want it to mean. It may be hard to live up to the faith, but it loses all its integrity when we adjust it down to our comfort level.
The prominence of homosexuality and other disordered sexual behavior in our culture are just signs of decadence: not in the sense of fun and orgies, but in the sense of decay. Its celebration is not part of a viable and vital society. Homosexuals are no less loved by God than the rest of us sinners, but their persistence in using that one aspect of their lives to define themselves and in insisting that it is admirable and relevant becomes absurd.
Bishop Akinola has some critical situations to deal with, and the Christian West, short on population and big on moneybags, should be giving him support. Here's to reunion with Rome!
Wendy Peckham, Petersburg, Virginia
I am at a loss as to why Mr Akinola and the self-proclaimed conservative Anglicans are so fixated on homosexuality. And I am so very proud of the Episcopal Church of the USA for continuing to stand for the true spirit of the beatitudes and the Gospels.
And, Mr Akinola, our unity as Anglicans will never be at the expense of truth, of the historic faith. If you want to leave, you will be missed-- but go ahead.
Steve, California, USA
Brothers and sisters after reading these posts I see that there are so many lost people among us.
Ann, Georgia, USA
God bless you Peter Akinola for standing up for the Truth. God loves homosexual people and they are not being helped by people telling them their behavior is good. They are being called more directly to chaste love and will only find it if it is actually preached instead of blessing homosexual sex.
Nancy Heise, parkland, USA, Florida
Pearl, the examples you preseant are not scientific facts at all. They are immutable facts. Unchanging. They were there before the bible was concocted and will remain long after the bible has gone. Immutable facts of the universe are only described by science. The bible describes nothing but what is easily observed and the rest is a load of superstition. The Egyptians knew the world was round before the bible existed. Their discoveries remained pretty much unchanged for several thousand years. All the Abrahamic religions stole their ideas from the Egyptians and called them their own. Only in the last hundred years or so have we worked out most of their science though there are still unknowns.
PSF, London, UK
Steve C of London. Science has not proved the bible wrong, Not once, not ever. Where do you get your information? You should investigate things yourself instead of taking the opinions of an obviously uneducated person. In fact the bible has proved science wrong on many occasions. For eg. 1.The bible tells us that the earth is a circle(sphere) for years science said the earth was flat, 2That there are innumerable stars, science used to think there were a limited number. 3.The bible tells us light moves, science until recent times thought light was fixed in place. 4.The bible teaches that blood is the source of life, science and medicine taught that sick people had to be bled, they now know different. 5.The ocean floor contains valleys and mountains, science taught the ocean floor was flat, now they know better. I could give many more examples but with just these few examples how could anyone deny the validity of the bible when these scientific facts were known more than 2000 years ago.
Pearl, NSW, Australia
What's queer is how often those religious conservatives who protest the loudest are found to be gay or "dabblers" themselves. When are they going to see the pattern and learn to pipe down, if they don't have the courage to live openly and follow their own hearts? By taking such a hostile position, they just make it harder for themselves if and when the truth does come out.
What a shame that we tangle ourselves up the way we do.
Anna, Paeroa, New Zealand
How can ANYONE say the Bible is "the truth" when it was written by a series of committees in circa 1400, MANY books were simpy left out or drasticaly changed because they did not fit the politics of the day.
Science has disproved nearly EVERY "fact" as laid out in the bible, yet people blindly follow every single word as if their lives depended upon it.
NO religion can claim to be a unting force for good, why do you need to "convert" anyone, if Christianity id the way, people will come to you.
Stop forcing your "beliefs" (beacuse that ALL they are) onto everyone.
If homosexuality is an abberation as per Leviticus, then why dont Christians also practice the burning of animal sacrifices as per the same chapter of the Bible?? Because it complete rubbish that has no place in any modern society.
The sooner ALL religions die out, the better for humanity.
SteveC, London,
Bravo, Bravo Bishop. My heart was made glad reading of your firm stand for God and His Church. Understand that there are many false teachers who would weaken the flock and lead others astray. Do not relent, do not wander, continue to preach the word. I support you and salute you.
Vann Bivens, San Jose, CA
Congratulations Archbishop! I am so glad that someone has the nerve to represent the historic truth of the Bible. I am in the Nazarene denomination which is a decendent of the Anglican church through John Wesley. I am also a Professor in a Nazarene University in the United States. My heart was thrilled by the report I just read of your stand for the truth.
Barth Smith, Olathe, United States. Kansas
Thank you, Archbishop Akinola, for standing firm for Biblical truth. Homosexuality is an abomination to God, let it be to us as well. It can never be made to be right by any pronouncements of man. God will have the last say on the day of judgment, and he will not change His word or His mind.
Max Doner, Foster, USA
So the solution to fundamentalist Islamic bigotry and intolerance is Christian bigotry and intolerance?
What a sad indictment of Christianity.
Chris Mitchell, Bristol, UK
Thank you Archbishop for expressing your sound views so pungently. What a pleasant change to the bland, Christless diet served up by many Anglican leaders! Unity with perversion? Never! Schism? Bring it on!
graham, birmingham, uk
This is not so much a comment as a solution to the problems raised by many of your previous correspondents.
Perhaps when Moses found the Ten Commandments , he missed one, which was probably not deemed necessary.
The Eleventh Commandment-
Learn the Ten Commandments and live by them, be content and find heaven on earth.
arthur marson, Huddersfield, west yorks.
I am not Anglican, Catholic, or any other Christian Denomination. I have a relationship. In my Bible, Jesus called us to be fishers of men and to do that we have to be a little bit different, set apart, seperate. Look, I'm not trying to be irreverent or any such thing, but He created everything and knows how it works best. He knows the end from the beginning and the good from the bad. It stands to reason that when He says that homosexuality is wrong, its wrong. The traditions of men make the gospel to no avail, we make His word useless by injecting our theories and suppositions over the truth of his word. I applaud Dr. Akinola's effort in following the right path, the narrow path. I pray he can continue to be a light shining in this dark time.
A.D.Harris, Sahuarita, U.S.A, AZ
Nowhere in the ten commandments does it mention homosexuality. The bible was written by men, even the so called saints are man made. where does that leave us with the 'have no false idols before me' statement! Homosexual lifestyles do not propergate children, therefore to enable the growth of the church they were ruled taboo. We were apparently given free will also, therefore we were not suppposed to follow the bible blindly.
Les, England,
I believe that in all true bible believing forms of the body of Christ, God is raising up men like him to reach every tribe and and nation. It is the only way this will be possible. This will only increase until the final person has heard the good news. Soon all boundaries between the different denominations will disolve to form a perfect union of God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and man in spirit and in truth. Praise God!
N, Haledon, NJ, USA
Anglicans? Episcopaleans? Catholics? Muslims? I'd rather be damned.
Keith, St Paul Minnesota, US
The Church ceases to be a spiritual society when it is on the look-out for the development of its own organisation. The rehabilitation of the human race on Jesus Christ’s plan means the realisation of Jesus Christ in corporate life as well as in individual life. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this purpose—that the corporate Personality might be realised. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy spiritual retirement; we are here so to realise Jesus Christ that the Body of Christ may be built up.
Jesus did not say—Make converts to your way of thinking, but look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Me. We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or a creed. “If any man come to Me, and hate not . . . , he cannot be My disciple.†There is no argument.Chambers, Oswald, My Utmost for His Highest, (United Kingdom: Marshall Morgan & Scott) c1927.
Patrick Wagner, Langford, Beds
I believe that in all true bible believing forms of the body of Christ, God is raising up men like him to reach every tribe and and nation. It is the only way this will be possible. This will only increase until the final person has heard the good news. Soon all boundaries between the different denominations will disolve to form a perfect union of God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and man in spirit and in truth. Praise God!
N, Haledon, NJ
Wow! How's that for straight talking?
I imagine he and Cardinal Arinze would get on really well together. The Catholic Church in Nigeria is also mushrooming. None of our cringing postmodern Christianity there.
Converting moslems? Yes, yes, yes!!!
Jim H., London,
Wow, I like this man!!! I am Catholic and totally appreciate all of his views and opinions. I would very much like to meet him, and I must say that I'll be praying for him!!!
Erik, Fraser, MI, USA
Amen, Amen and Amen!
Thank God for men of courage such as Bishop Akinola.
Nina, Annandale, Va, USA
May it please almighty God to provide a servant like Dr Akinola in each country around this globe.
+O D Shank, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Surely, we are all God's children.
Dr Gbadebo Ogunlami, London,
After reading this article I began to appreciate the courage of Dr Akinola, but I also agree with him that once he is retired you can safely say that from the 120 that could take his place, many of these men would be of the same callibar. This is not because they are determined individuals having great personal strength, but that these are men that adhere to truth as found in the Word of God. For the bible scholars, didn’t the Laodicean Church put Christ out of the church? Unity should be grounded in the scriptures and not on our churches and denominations. Without the belief in what God has said, we are worse off than the unbelievers and we are hypocrites without hope. How can we deliever this world from sin when we deny its definition. This is not a homsexuality problem, or a homophobic problem, it is a sin problem. The gospel offers freedom from sin and bondage, through the blood of Christ that cleanses us from sin and I say that the church should ask for a re-cleansing today.
Brian Loch, Pastor - Bible Believers Fellowship, South Lanarkshire, Scotland (UK)
It is refreshing to see a man of God stand up for the the truth and someone stand up to the apostates in the Episcopal Church. Either you believe the word of God or not. You can't live any old way and expect to get to heaven. Jesus came to save the lost not to endorse their lifestyle. The church is not like Burger King you cant have it you way. We are to confirm to to the will of God, not the other way around. THE church has a standard it is the Bible not the culture which is corrupt and confused. I am not suprised that the Church is dying in Europe when the clergy abandons truth for being political correct . Not truth no life
Olivia Denise Saunders, Durham , North Carolina US
The west's penchant for experimenting with all kinds of nonsense should stop. And for those who think the priesthood is silly i weep for them. Religion would always be divisive, when some stinking minds mix their lifestyles with God's word. Thumbs up for Akinola the light of the World.
TORDUE SALEM, ABUJA, NIGERIA
I don't know which depressed me more the attitudes of Bishop Akinola or the opinions of his supporters. As someone so rightly pointed out Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. It did not seem to have great importance to him.
St Paul condemned it, but he also condemned women speaking in church, going to church with their heads uncovered, and he gave his approval to slavery sending Onesimus back to his master and bidding slaves to be obedient.
We all cherry pick in our choice of which parts of the Bible to believe and obey. Reading the Bible, it would seem that there are many more references to lending money for interest as a sin than to homosexuality. I wonder how many of those posting comments in praise of Bishop Akinola have saving accounts? Those who get in debt using the cash that we have lent the banks for their benefit can lose all they own.
How many men shave? wear mixed garments, shirt of cotton pants of wool for example?
It is so easy to use the law to condemn.
Anne Lee, St Amant de Bonnieure, France
Well done Archbishop. At last someone in the Anglican church who is not afraid to speak the truth and is not afraid of political correctness.
Mary, Horley, UK
Times2, 5th July 07, Interview with Archbishop Akinola
At last, a voice from the Church proclaiming the Truth.
Archbishop Akinola is right in his understanding of God's Word in the Scriptures of both Old and new Testaments.
In our morally decadent Western civilization, the Church has failed in her ability to discern between good and evil and she is deaf to Christ's call to enter His Father's Kingdom 'by the straight gate' and, instead, she is making speed on the 'broad road to destruction' (St Matthew Ch 7 v: 13 & 14). At the root of our moral decay is the sin of homosexuality.
Salvation from the hell of separation from God can only come through belief in Christ and His Gospel, and obedience to his Word.
God has called Archbishop Akinola to bring the Church out of darkness into the Light of Christ who is the Light of the World
Rev. Mrs. J.E.Stewart, Port Ellen, Argyll
Bravo Peter Akinola! At last a cleric with the guts to speak out for the Anglican Communion and Christians as a whole. I hope that the wishy washy liberal compromising grey suits of Canterbury take note. If a split comes I am on the side that backs focussed men of God who stand by God's timeless decrees as espoused by Akinola. Perhaps now our senior clerics will wake up to the unchangeable standards of the Bible.
John Noel, Bridgwater, UK
I am heartened to read of this amazing man. A man of principle in a world where principles, morals or standards of behaviour dont seem to matter any more. It is no wonder that the Islamic faith is strengthening.
Susan, Nelson, New Zeland
It is either you have Jesus or you dont. The bible says it is either with the Lord or you are against Him. How can you live in what the bible condemns and want to be for Him. Let those who want something to affirm their lifestyle choose any other place apart from the church.
ceeakay
Ckay, Toronto , Canada
This article demonstrates yet again that religion is a divisive not a uniting force. We don't need men in silly purple frocks to show us the way to God/Spirit. They are just getting in the way.
Vanessa, Ireland,
I find this debate on homosexuality within the clergy to be a diversion from the spreading of the Gospel. I would like both the western liberals and the so called conservative south to draw back and reflect on how we have come to this point.
The western liberals should return to teaching the literal truth and the conservatives should show more open empathy to those who for no fault of theirs are attracted to same sex relationships.
I can sometimes detect a whiff of neo-colonianism in comments printed in most western media on this matter. Maybe it is better for the Anglican Communion to split than this constant mudslinging. The history of the Christian Church has been one of constant division and splits so another should not be cause for anguish.
Ayo Otubanjo, London, UK
It's quite remarkable how the old saw of "you gave us this and now you want to change it on us" continues to cut wood. I am among those who think the Church -- while imperfect -- should rather be always on the edge of what "society" thinks is wrong. We certainly know this from reading the Bible. The hardest thing for most of us is to allow ourselves to get un-stuck from our old ways and consider that God and the Holy Spirit may indeed be speaking to us in new ways. I fear that Abp. Akinola's views are profoundly driven by his fear of Islam. If that's the case, Christianity -- and not just we Anglicans -- have indeed succumbed to terrorists.
Peter Winterble, Buenos Aires, Argentina
To the ignorami, 'Africa' is a HUGE CONTINENT! The fact that *some* Southern African tribes have a faux 'traditional' belief in the restorative powers of virginity -"faux" because this self-serving so called tradition has had just about 30 yrs to develop!- doesn't stand as a reason to tar somebody hundreds of miles away with the same brush.
Regardless of his other 'failings', it has been pointed out by many here that Biblically, God invites us to join his Church- the Body of CHRIST- as we are BUT expects that we shall be CHANGED from the inside out i.e. be sanctified by the "washing of water by the Word" a.k.a. inculcation of Biblical truth in a Church setting unpolluted by the relativist secular fumblings of the secular PC or any other humanist inspired beliefs. The Epistles and Revelation are just as scathing in condemnation of the practise of these and other SINS, especially by those who purport to lead the flock - these Fifth column attacks must be uprooted and doctrine taught
michael, london, london
Peter Akinola is a tragic example of evangelicalism gone awry. Little over one hundred years ago, people thought that Africans were a cursed race, could be enslaved without impunity and treated like animals. It takes a certain level of understanding of the broadness of God's mercy, kindness and love not to make demands of others that they cannot meet. This is the problem with fundamentalism. It seems to tell people how God insists they be or else. Would to God Peter Akinola would wake up and suddenly find himself of homosexual orientation. It is indeed difficult to understand until one has walked in another's shoes. I find it most abberant that the Akinolas of this world would make the gospel of Jesus Christ not "work" for LGBT persons. I think Akinola basically makes the New Testament out ot be a lie as we know that even those who claim cures still find themselves thinking as homosexual even in their fantasy lives with their opposite gender partners. Who lives the lie?
REV. ROB BAGWELL, STOUGHTON, MA
The most offensive thing about all of this is that the man gets to call himself Anglican, thereby being rubber stamped with a presumption that his views ought to hold some kind of influence, while standing for the kind of backward, ignorant theology that would be par for the course with Pentecostals or other non-denominations that genuine theologians, rightly, ignore. Once more, why should the enlightened continue to pay any attention whatever to this kind of monkey theology?
David, Oxford,
The Bishop is right on target!
Paul Adams, Cincinnati, Ohio
When I hear this man speak I think..."just what DOES the Church of England believe in"???
Churches expanding whilst the USA & Western Europes are in decline says it all..
Dr Peter Akinola or his successor should be the ones to lead the Anglican community...IF it survives
JKM, Durham,
To love someone is to speak the truth in a caring way and not to compromise the truth. If a person is in mortal danger, to pretend otherwise when you know the situation, is not love but crass disregard. Peter Akinola is upholding the truth of Scripture in love - and because that means some people have to reassess their own morality they don't like it. But actually such people don't have an issue so much with Peter Akinola as with God's word which is very clear. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "do not be deceived..." says Paul and lists a number of sins - all of which will lead to not getting into the kingdom of heaven - amongst them is homosexual practice. It seems Paul is saying that to maintain any of the things he lists as not being sinful means you are lost. So lying is on a par with homosexual practice. But all such sins can be forgiven in Christ. Therein is slavation. Let's not deceive people about what sin is as we are doing in the West. Well done Peter Akinola.
Roger Wiles, Wirral, UK
To love someone is to speak the truth in a caring way and not to compromise the truth. If a person is in mortal danger, to pretend otherwise when you know the situation, is not love but crass disregard. Peter Akinola is upholding the truth of Scripture in love - and because that means some people have to reassess their own morality they don't like it. But actually such people don't have an issue so much with Peter Akinola as with God's word which is very clear. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "do not be deceived..." says Paul and lists a number of sins - all of which will lead to not getting into the kingdom of heaven - amongst them is homosexual practice. It seems Paul is saying that to maintain any of the things he lists as not being sinful means you are lost. So lying is on a par with homosexual practice. But all such sins can be forgiven in Christ. Therein is slavation. Let's not deceive people about what sin is as we are doing in the West. Well done Peter Akinola.
Roger Wiles, Wirral, UK
The Western Church has moved into a new paradigm. Homosexuality in the OT was a hindrance to procreation, and this meant a less prosperous Israel. The OT authors shared this concern. Today, this should not be an issue because we have socially evolved. Ploygamy is no longer considered God's will for humans, but is clearly accepted in the Bible. We don't have problems eating shrimp or pork, also Biblical no-nos. I find it odd what we choose to see as Biblical. The summary of the law says: "Love God with all your heart, soul, and might, and to love your neighbor as yourself. On these hang the law and the prophets." Although I do not equate love and tolerance, I do not believe homosexuality to be a sin. It baffles me when we presume to know the heart and mind of God simply because we have read the Bible. I agree that Christ and Scripture are the best revelations of God we have, they are the extent of God, however. We too quickly forget to trust the Holy Spirit to move and shape the church.
William Ogburn, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
God bless Archbishop Akinola in the days ahead. There is still much work to do. Western modernism is in crisis because it is all talk and little substance. The revisionist tactic is to bluff, but one can't bluff one's way into heaven.
Alice C. Linsley, Versailles, Kentucky
If as Christians we confess Jesus as Lord that must mean something. In terms of faith and life it must at least mean certain allegiances are seen in fresh light; to say yes to Christ is to accept his way and say no to certain other things. Choices and loyalties are evaluated in relation to Christ. For Peter A. it means giving attention to what scripture actually says. That was part of his call as bishop, integrity of faith is encouraging when we see it.
The sexual relationship in the context of marriage, reflected in creation and echoed by Jesus (Matt. 19:4-6), becomes a deciding issue for the early church; what is blessed is the union of man and woman in marriage (e.g. Ephesians 5:31-33). The is our direction in a confused and confusing world.
Ben Wiebe, Beamsville, Canada
Peter Akinola speaks the truth for Anglicans like myself. God bless him.
Chris, London, England
The Bible ,or the Word of God ,is the very reason we know about God and Jesus and the Gospel. If we can choose to ignore any of it because it does't suit us, then the rest of it is called into question and all of it can be rejected and we have no ground on which to stand.
However, Bible has been substantiated historically, archeologically, prophetically and by manuscript evidence.
It is God's Word and it says that homosexuality is a sin, period.
You can argue with the Bible and with God, and reject it, but then you should also reject the Gospel and quit the Christian faith.
Don't pretend to be a minister or godly and mislead others. Your damnation will only be greater. Admit you are an unbeliever and move on.
Peter Akinola is a true Christian in the biblical sense and he has spiritual understanding. Unbelievers cannot understand spiritual things. That is what the Bible says. If you think yourself a Christian and do not comprehend this, you are deceiving yourself.
Mike, san diego, ca
OT or NT - If Christians are bound only by NT, then one should never ignore, Romans 1:27. No matter which version you read, it still says "Likewise, their men have given up natural sexual relations with women and burn with lust for each other. Men commit indecent acts with men, so they experience among themselves the punishment they deserve for their perversion"
God will be judge all of us. In love, we are called to hold out the truths of God's Word. Nigeria may be harsh by Western standards in the way they hold out the truth, but at least they are doing so.
Revelations 3:16 "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. "
May the Good Lord help those of us in the West stop being "lukewarm" aka "politically correct."
Michele, Houston, Texas
Isn't this man simply stating what Jesus would normally say to us, which is not to sin and turn to God?
Archbishop Akinola, there are Americans willing to hear the Gospel, just as there are Nigerians. Continue the work that God bestowed upon you.
As usual, I see the peanut gallery demanding this man's head simply for speaking the Truth as it is.
Marie, Midway Park, NC, USA
''Our unity will never be at the expense of truth, of the historic faith.â€
He can say that again! Homoseculaity is to be condemned as much as any other sin, like infidelity,lying or covetuousness
Gabe, dublin,
Oh yeah! 19 month and we're going to be rid of this hate preacher! About time. This is stoneage theology, boring, dangerous and not very christian. Good riddance.
M. Fiedler, Rotterdam,
Reading this interview has greatly encouraged me. Though I am not a member of the Anglican denomination, I have been saddened by the growing apostasy among that and other denominations which "have a FORM of godliness, but deny the power thereof...". 2 Timothy 3:5
Thank God that He truly has His faithful remnant who have not bowed their knees to Baal, but who have continued to walk in fellowship with Him, seeking Him first, regardless of how little they are understood. We know that Christ Jesus is at His right hand ever interceding for His own, and that it won't be long until He has fulfilled all prophecies.
He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We know that we are 24 hours closer to judgment than we were this time yesterday. I pray that those whose eyes are blinded, as mine once were, will be opened by the power of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.
AE, Oxford,
He writes: We have not broken the law. It is your churches that are breaking the law. You are the ones breaking the rules.
This man has set himself up as judge. His judgment is good for himself, but it is not universal. He is not God, as he says himself. 'The Bible' does not speak by itself but through those to whom it gives a voice. His voice is not the voice I hear nor is it speaking the presence I know by the death of Christ. Don't be too quick with the Liberal accusation.
In Christ we do not live by law but by grace. We are married to the one who is raised from the dead. He knows how to raise a homosexual and he does not turn such into a heterosexual - many heterosexuals need also to die to themselves as do all those who practice the fears Akinola ran from. There is no running to a law but to the one who is love. There is no need to condemn those who have turned to God in Christ whether they be gay or straight.
Good interview - there are cracks in fleshly armour
Bob, Victoria,
The Western Church has moved into a new paradigm.Homosexuality in the Bible was a hindrance to procreation, and thus meant a less prosperous Israel.The authors of the OT shared this concern.Today, this should not be an issue because we have evolved socially. Polygamy is no longer considered God’s will for humans, but it certainly was accepted in the OT.We don’t have problems eating shrimp or pork, also considered abominations in the OT.I think it is odd what we choose to accept as “Biblical.â€The summary of the law is to “Love God with all your heart, soul, and might, and to love your neighbor as yourself.On these hang all the law and the prophets.â€Although I agree that love does not equal acceptance, I do not believe that homosexuality is an abomination.It always baffles me that people assume to know the heart and mind of God simply because they have read the Bible.I agree that Christ and Scripture are the best revelations of God that we have, however they are not the extent of God.
William Ogburn, Pittsburgh, PA
Archbishop Akinola, and the reaction to him in the "West", reminds me of a story told in school to Canadian children. When it was announced that James Wolfe would command the British assault on the French fortress of Quebec complaint was made by some to the King that Wolfe was "mad". To which the king replied, "If so I hope he will bite some of my other generals!"
Jesus told the woman taken in adultery "Go and sin no more," when accusers (who wanted Him to say to stone her) had departed after He said - "Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone." I am told that when this passage is read in some American Episcopal churches the words of Jesus to the woman, "Go and sin no more" are left out.
Homosexualists have also suggested for years that a "gay gene" exists to explain and justify homosexual behaviour. But the scientist who chaired the project that mapped the human genome is very careful in his recent book abiut it not to make any such suggestion.
Canon Robert Tuck, Charlottetown, Canada
One cannot help but admire the leadership of Bishop Akinsola when our own leaders, Rowan Williams included, appear to be endeavouring to avoid conflict, as opposed to telling Anglicans what is right.
If only we had strong leadership in the Anglican Church both in the UK and in America, I feel sure that many more would feel drawn towards church attendance again, to the benefit of all.
We need strong and unwavering leadership - not compromise !
Basil C.Vining
Anglican Lay Reader, Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk UK
Basil C.Vining, Bury St.Edmunds, UK
Picking up on the irony of preaching a gospel back to England ... here in Brandon, Manitoba, too, a Nigerian couple - Henry and Choice idonije - have been doing missionary work for almost 20 years.
Lyndon Bournon, Brandon, Manitoba
I am an American Episcopalian and a priest of the Church. The problem started when missionaries gave Africa the letter of the law and not the spirit of it. Far from fearing Akinola and his ilk in the USA, most of us pity him.
Bruce McMillan, Holly Springs, MS, USA
Bruce McMillan, Holly Springs, USA/Mississippi
The primary purpose of sex is to ensure the survival of the species. That it can be recreational to to ensure it is procreational. Sex which is not in the long term best interests of society as a whole, and homosexual relations by there very nature cannot meet this criteria however much they are in the interests of the individuals, should not therefore be encouraged or promoted by society which is concerned about its future. Thus whilst society may properly tolerate homosexuality it ought not to equate it with heterosexual marriage (ie the life long union of one man and one woman) which does tend overall to be the best way of ensuring the proper upbringing of the next generation. If we do not now look after the interests of the next generation we will be leaving it a poor legacy. This is why Peter Akinola is right and Gene Robinson seriously wrong, and the CofE in its usual indeterminate muddle which does not bode well for its or anybodies long term future.
Robin I Morgan, WOKING, UK
North America and Europe are irrelevant to Christianity. The true church lies now in the southern hemisphere. It is the providential hand of God by which the church shall rise and renew the lost western church. My God's grace be reflected in the Nigerian churches and those like it. Amen.
Ben, Snell, SC
What is ambiguous about Romans 1:27? Has God changed in order to accommodate our 'modern' view of morality? You either believe in Jesus or you do not. Selectively choosing which verses of the Bible applies to your life will not be much comfort when you face the judgment seat of Christ. For those poor God fearing Anglicans stuck in dead, demoralized, homosexualized churches it is time to follow the Holy Spirit and leave Babylon. There are still God fearing, Bible believing churches in the West.
For the liberal you must face reality. Your pretend churches are doomed. It is only the fundamentalist churches that see real growth, because of the real presence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Matt, Leominster,
I found Ruth Gledhill's article very informative. Archbishop Akinola has been demonised by western liberals in the Anglican Church. The article showed him to be a sincere and humble man who is working hard. I admire his sincerity, integrity and honesty.
The Anglican church contains a wide variety of christian beliefs within it, and the balance of these shifts from generation to generation.
Let us, in the west, salute the hard work and christian enthusiasm of bishops like Archbishop Akinola. Let us be proud to be part of the church of which he is a part.
Steve
Steve Fahey, Halifax,
Long live Bishop Akinola! He should be cannonized for his frim stance. Oh that ECUSA would see things his way.
Barbara Robken, Midland, USA, Texas
Gledhill's article is clearly self-serving to her own agenda of course. Akinola has had significant publicity to point out his involvement in the anti-gay actions/legislation in Nigeria. He avoids describing his direct involvement at all. He has just been humiliated in the way he was removed as President of the Christian Alliance in Nigeria. He did EVERYTHING he could do to keep himself in place, even after another person was elected. This should be a true embarrassment to Anglicans and amounted to an assault on the Body of Christ in the way he was disrespectful to other Christians and particularly the Roman Catholic Church. Yet she ignored these recent events completely. Taking off his shoes may have been endearing to her and to readers, but I would be much more touched to have heard about his efforts to protect gays from maltreatment, or even to have heard him talk about his work to prevent AIDS, to protect Nigeria's oil resources from exploitation, to stop sectarian violence.
sharon, port tobacco, USA
Western liberals see only issues that are of concern to them. The issue is the Biblical standards of morality, and whether or not they should be binding on Christians today, not forgetting the fact that Church membership is entirely voluntary, and he who chooses not to abide by its rules is not bound, but is free to renounce it. But, imposing ones own interpretation of scriptures on others is a different matter entirely. If the African Church is wrong on polygamy. Throw the debate open! For this reason, Bishop Akinola in Nigeria would no more ordain a practising polygamist, than a man who keeps a mistress apart from his wife, (both of whom, abound in the Nigerian church) If therefore he cannot do this, how on earth is he expected to support the ordination of practising Gays? And why is the liberal West not speaking, e.g., for the inclusion of polygamists as well? Is it because it is not yet fashionably accepted? Whose standards should we keep?
Nike Olafimihan , Den Haag, Netherlands
He is a fanatic.
"...His passionate attachment is the essence of his blind devotion and religiosity, and he sees in it the source of all virtue and strength. Though his single-minded dedication is a holding on for dear life, he easily sees himself as the supporter and defender of the holy cause to which he clings. … The fanatic is not really a stickler to principle. He embraces a cause not primarily because of its justice and holiness but because of his desperate need for something to hold on to. …
...he cannot be weaned away from his cause by an appeal to his reason or moral sense. He fears compromise and cannot be persuaded to qualify the certitude and righteousness of his holy cause.
(Eric Hoffer)
louise moon, waldorf, Maryland
I agree with michael livingston, cheltenham , pa usa
''So the answer is to dismiss religion as superstition and all non-westerners as ignorant? This does not sound to me particularly convincing.''
K. Urban, London, UK
This is the swansong of an arrogant and unintelligent man. There is nothing enigmatic about obtuseness and coarseness. His own flock in Nigeria have rejected his policies and attitudes massively. In the recent election for a new President of the Christian ssociation of Nigeria (CAN) -- despite a series of increasingly desperate political machinations to ensure his own re-election -- Dr. Akinola was thoroughly trounced, and replaced by the Roman Catholic Primate. He was especially faulted on his failure to support his flock in the North of the country, though he uses them as his chief argument for his homophobic policies.
Joseph S. O'Leary, Tokyo, Japan
Thank you for this personal interview. We do thank the Living God for such men. Men who will remain faithful to the truth of the Scriptures ...not like the wishy washy men who try to distort the Scriptures by their devious ways of 'interpreting' the Bible. We pray God will bless the work of our Nigerian brothers and sisters as they proclaim the Good News about Jesus. We believe with them that many more Muslims will also see the love and good deeds of this church and turn to Jesus for Salvation.
Roger Malstead, Wenatchee, WA, USA
Whether you belong to the Conservative or the Liberal School,
no political correctness could change what was established in all the versions of the Bible worldwide.
From Genesis to Revelation, no where was homosexualism nor lesbianism supported.
One thing is certain, all the works of darkness shall one day be brought to light.
"Those who have ears,let them ear"
ola osibogun, london, uk
Bishop Akinola has a very warped view of the Episcopal Church. He has been fed a lot of lies and misinformation by a few malcontents.
For Bishop Akinola to paint the American church with such a broad brush is disingenuous. He tries to make it appear as though all American Christians think alike, as though we all support Gene Robinson's election as bishop.
And so he would break communion with the U.S. and any other church he pleases. Does he feel no obligation, does he not hear Christ calling him to reconcile?
Christians do not abandon their brothers and sisters just because of a disagreement on sexuality or church politics. I pray that future Anglican leaders in Nigeria will be more open to nuturing relationships with the wider Church.
John, Seattle, U.S.A.
Bishop Akinola theology comes from an ancient spiritual tradition of the Celtic Christians in the British Isles. They too saw the office of Bishop as one without a place to lay their head and a passion for evangelism and no wealth and prestige. The great men and women of the ancient "British" faith, Columbanus, Aiden, Cuthbert, Hilda and Patricius would have much in common with God's man in Nigeria. Sadly for this nation, the Celtic spark was snuffed out in the 7th Century by the Roman "intrusion" led by Augustine. We in the British Isles have never fully recovered from that fateful event in Whitby all those years ago when, for the sake of unity, the church became the Roman Empire re-born. The "world" won a great victory back then and it is good to know that there are Christian leaders who are not off this world fighting to preserve the Biblical tradtions over against liberalism.
Real Istbear, Warwick, UK
"God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve."
God didn't make nylon either. Or rocket ships. Or cars. Or vaccines. I can't stand the way Christians pick and choose from the Bible. Leviticus does not just condemn homosexuality, but I see nobody getting chastised for wearing two different types of cloth in one garment.
I'm just wondering, what do you think about gay animals? They exist, you know.
starling, L,
Western liberals see only issues that are of concern to them. The issue is the Biblical standards of morality, and whether or not they should be binding on Christians today, not forgetting the fact that Church membership is entirely voluntary, and he who chooses not to abide by its rules is not bound, but is free to renounce it. But, imposing ones own interpretation of scriptures on others is a different matter entirely. For this reason, Bishop Akinola in Nigeria would no more ordain a practising polygamist, which abounds in the Nigerian church) If therefore he cannot do this, how on earth is he expected to support the ordination of practising Gays? And whys is th liberal West not speaking for the inclusion of polygamists as well? Doesn't God love us all?
And for the records, Bishop Akinola is working hard, saving persecuted Christians. But of course its not fashionable to report this.
Nike Olafimihan , Den Haag, Netherlands
This man achievely supports laws in Nigeria to make homosexuality illegal, to increase the prison sentance for homosexulity and to make it illegal for homosexual organisations to exist. He is an horrific individual and wants to take the christian church back into the witchburning-dark ages.
Alex Rayment, Keswick, Cumbria, UK
Some day I would like to learn how a church that was founded so Henry VIII could ditch his barren wife and subsequently appropriate the wealth of the Catholics through murder and bloodshed, came to be a "true" religion. Would love to know...
George Mazzei, St Petersburg, FL, USA
If sexual orientation turns out to be a genetically acquired trait, and part of our neuronal make-up, predominantly due to nature not nurture, then it is part of the natural order, is it not?
mary, bendigo,
Yet another dogmatic Christian, espousing the bits of the OT that suit, while the God in most of that document is a malevolent, manipulating, calculating, violent, punitive martinet. Akinola accepts the impossible miracle claims of the NT, as many Christians do, in the mistaken belief that morality only springs from a non-existent magician in the sky.
The Koran follows the tough line of the OT God as well. The sooner we rid ourselves of all this religious madness the sooner the world can make a humane, secular, more homogeneous society across national boundaries.
will, adelaide,
This man continues to disgrace his country. Ok, we are quite strict when it comes to sex in general, but we have all sorts of problems that our consevatism fails to solve e.g. HIV killing tens of thousands, widespread prostition, polygamy - none of which he has made his priority.
And now he has become the savoiur for conservative white people - the kind that are least liklely to do or say anything in our favour.
We have no business exporting bigotry.
Ago Ndubia, Enugu, Nigeria
Westerns brought Christianity to Africans.
They thought them the teachings of the holly bible for years, which clearly condemns homosexuality among other sins.
Now, Many years later to much of the western convenience, they decides to defy the same teaching from the same holly bible.
If you were a non-believer, how credible would you consider Christianity????
The answer to that question would some how justify why the church in the west keep shrinking.
For some people like me born and brought up Christians, so little is being done to convince me that Christianity represent truth, Maybe those who suggests that Christianity is just a tool used by westerns to control, colonise and rule over different part of the world have a point ( the did succeed by the look of things)
I can only pray for Archbishop Akinola to continue to follow and teach the true teachings of the holly bible. I only wonder how much of the truth remains in it,as it still being edited by the church to suit them
Douglas GAsore, Birmingham, UK
Well - I find this man, Peter Akinola, very troubling but not in a good conscience-stirring way. Bare feet and simple surroundings do not necessarily make for a better or more humble Christian than those who live in Lambeth and York. Sadly, I do not feel true Christian humility and compassion in Akinola's statements which brook no discussion. Those who are truly Christian are slow to criticise. Perhaps the very real and monochromatic differences between Nigeria and the rest of the Anglican Communion are cultural - do you think? I sense that something is not quite in tune with the teachings of Jesus in all this - and he (and the New Testament) never said anything about homosexuality. But Jesus did tell us to love one another. Bishops everywhere might care to reflect on that rather than indulging in senseless politicking?
J S M Roberts, O.B.E., Seaford, England
It seems to me that what people forget is that being a christian is hard. As christians we are personally responsible for our actions and true beliefs in a personal relationship with god. We do not have rigid set of rules to make it easier.
What makes it complicated with some issues is that we naturally have compassion. It is this that gets us in to difficulty.
Love the person not the act is true of all christians, homosexuals are welcome in the church, the act isn't, no different to burglars as long as they are not carrying ot burglary. It is not for christians to condemn them but to welcome them, they have to make their peace with God. It is painfully difficult for all involved and hard to comment on.
However you cannot change the rules to meet everyone's needs, the basic tenets of the christian faith are fixed, people who do not adhere to them should not be leading the church.
John Poynton, Tiverton, UK
Has maintaining his position and the published numbers of believers in worldwide Anglicanism so consumed Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams that he has become pragmatic and found a new theological compass?
William, Selma, Alabama, USA
n order to be a Christian, especially nowadays, one has to obey the scriptures, which Jesus said 'can never be broken'. It is possible to misread the scriptures and so the Bible is a big question mark, asking us to examine all it says and compare it with our own experience of seeking truth by the Holy Spirit who is the result of the work of Jesus on earth. Remembering how exact were the provisions for worship in the Temple (the priests could not enter the holy of holies in garments that promoted sweat, and every offering had to be perfect) it is sensible to reject aberrations that offend against hygiene and commonsense, even Darwinism, which is what homosexuality is. One should not reject people for being what they are but one cannot say they are right when they are not. No one is perfect, but offerings to God should be as perfect as possible, and as fundamentally sensible.
a dahn, bangor, n ireland
Wow! So wish this guy was leading the church in England! We so need Bible believing and Bible practising Christian leaders in this country. People who live by the Word and are not afraid to stand up and live it out - even though they will be mocked for it. I admire the guy and long for a day when a secular England can look to such a church leader. Reading the article was both refreshing and inspiring.
Steve Lancaster , Corsham, Wiltshire
You can't stop progress Dr Akinola. Your beliefs belong to an bygone era, rather like when witches were burnt at the stake.
Damien, London,
What the Christian Church as a whole needs are more bishops and leaders like Peter Akinola. The church pews would be full to standing if this could be brought about. Their unwillingness to severely tackle the paedophiles and practising homosexuals in their midst goes directly against the preachings of Jesus and his apostles whom they are supposed to represent on earth. These people have been allowed to bring the Christian faith into disrepute for far too long. Let the public elect their bishops - after all it is the laity that make-up the church in any case.
Norma Kennedy, Mijas Costa, Malaga., Spain
Homosexuals cant have their cake and eat it. If Christianity (and the Old Testament is still a Christian text) bans it then they should refrain or stop calling themselves Christians. Aetheism and Humanism happily accept the amazing variety of human preferences and would happily accept homosexuals as they are most importantly human beings. But if you fear the wrath of God over rationality (and passion) then refrain and remain within the Church. The choice though tough is clear.
Robert Grundy, London,
This first writer seems to have gotten the idea that the Gospels are the only valid Bible. The Old Testament is the beginning, the basic truths, that God has given us for a happy and productive life here on earth, as well as a glimpse of how holy, and loving He is. While Jesus is not recorded as having repeated every detail of the Torah (though John writes that what was written was only a small representation!), it is significant that while He did overthrow many interpretations He affirmed every detail of it, in Matthew 5:17-19.
No, Anu, the whole Bible stands as one, and the gift of eternal life is one gift, from the holy, loving God Who is, through Christ, for all of us!
Robert Easter, Jackson, MS USA
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His servant, Bishop and brother, Akinola.
It's love that causes Bishop Akinola to speak the truth in this way. He is warning us of the judgement to come. And if we don't know what is wrong in God's eyes (as He has graciously shown us on every page of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation), then how can we repent of our sin and turn to Jesus to be saved from the wrath to come? God IS love, and He loved us SO much Christ died for us, in our place that we may escape this wrath. And if He died in our place, shouldn't we live lives that are pleasing to Him and glorify His name?
Look how Jesus adored and obeyed His Father's Word - shouldn't we?
SA, london, uk
The story doesn't say where Akinola went to seminary. Are his beliefs standard for the seminary he attended? If not, how did his theology develop?
Mercedes Greene, San Diego, USA
God bless Archbishop Akinola and the work of the church in Africa. We in the West have left the true path and are descending deeper into the darkness. I pray that Archbishop Akinola is able to help bring the light back to Europe & America, as he has in Africa, and that Archbishop Williams and those who are leading us away from the Lord's teachings are soon replaced by new church leaders who follow the true Word.
Ad, Nottingham, UK
I totally agree with Dr Akinola's views, we as christians should stand for what the bible says and be the light of the world. The west is compromising. We need to uphold the truth. At all times. I thank God for a voice like him.
Ify Babatunde, London, England
Its no good trying to hide behind the old chesnut that the Old Testament is out of date as far as homosexuality is concerned. The New Testament is equally unambiguous on the matter. Paul expicitly says that both "arsenokoites" and "malakos" will not inherit the kingdom of God. That's not good news for practicing homosexuals.
les, London,
you know if they open a 'Nigerian Anglican' church near me i might actually go to church regularly for the first time in my life
Daniel K888, Melbourne , Australia
Well, what a relief! Someone in the Anglican Church is at last voicing the Truth of Word of God, rather than listening to the corrupted word of the world! Go for it Archbishop. The world needs evangelists like you, and the more of you there are
the better it is for mankind. Although I am not of the Anglican faith (I used to be before I became downhearted with the lack of cohesion and distorted view of the scriptures which came from the pulpit sometimes) I am heartened by the views you express. I am certainly not against homosexuals, just against what they do. There is certainly a place for them in Christianity. They are as much a part of our society as the rest of us, but if we have any love for God at all, we must ALL respect and follow His rules. Yes, we all find following the path of Christianity hard at times, but the way to peace in this world is through following His teachings, not watering them down by trying to make the Word of God fit into the world's ways.
S. Hobson, Cambridge, UK
Well Islam is on the move all over the world,and not many people stand up for Christianity, certainly not the church leaders here in the UK, they are more worried about political correctness...........So good luck to Mr Peter Akinola, the western world needs more people like you....
S faremer, Blackburn, Lancashire
n order to be a Christian, especially nowadays, one has to obey the scriptures, which Jesus said 'can never be broken'. It is possible to misread the scriptures and so the Bible is a big question mark, asking us to examine all it says and compare it with our own experience of seeking truth by the Holy Spirit who is the result of the work of Jesus on earth. Remembering how exact were the provisions for worship in the Temple (the priests could not enter the holy of holies in garments that promoted sweat, and every offering had to be perfect) it is sensible to reject aberrations that offend against hygiene and commonsense, even Darwinism, which is what homosexuality is. One should not reject people for being what they are but one cannot say they are right when they are not. No one is perfect, but offerings to God should be as perfect as possible, and as fundamentally sensible.
a dahn, bangor, n ireland
I'm not sure which is most scary; the views of Akinola himself, the pandering to those views by Ruth Gledhill in not seeking to challenge him on anything, or the views of the people who have submitted comments praising Akinola.
Maybe I'm in the wrong being a liberal Christian, but I don't see the unconditional love of Christ in Akinola or the band of conservative Christians only too happy to pat him on the back. Perhaps the more liberal wing of the western church is to some extent guilty for falling church numbers in the latter part of the 20th century and early 21st century but I also think that society has woken up to the hypocrisy and intolerance towards various societal groups of conservative Christians. Akinola is at the forefront of this movement within the Anglican Communion, and clearly that message plays well in Nigeria but it would be nice if he and others of his ilk extended their grace and love and showed what the radical message of Christianity can truly achieve.
Gareth Morgan, London, UK
I applaud Peter for his views. His views should not be taken to be homophobic. The general perception in the west is that Africans are homophobic. There are gays in Africa as well. Many of whom are integral part of the society. His point is a matter of towing to the scriptures or not. This should not be confused with other social problems like AIDS which plagues Africa. Bending the rules will set bad precedent for other issues and most likely disenfranchise a lot of the new converts. In a nut shell, "Practice what you preach"!
David, London, UK
Well done Dr Akinola!
It is high time we Anglican's start to speak up and be heard. Jesus Christ was radical in his days and we have been called to be Christ like and have no fear of man and speak the truth.
As a member of the Anglican Communion and a Nigerian it was so good hear someone stand up and speak out and forget about political correctness. It is high time all the "liberals" read about truth in the Bible and speak the "gospel truth" and forget about political correctness. I am not sure there will be no room for poltical correctness in heaven.
Adekemi Adeniran, Redhill, Surrey, United Kingdom
It seems to me that what people forget is that being a christian is hard. As christians we are personally responsible for our actions and true beliefs in a personal relationship with god. We do not have rigid set of rules to make it easier.
What makes it complicated with some issues is that we naturally have compassion. It is this that gets us in to difficulty.
Love the person not the act is true of all christians, homosexuals are welcome in the church, the act isn't, no different to burglars as long as they are not carrying ot burglary. It is not for christians to condemn them but to welcome them, they have to make their peace with God. It is painfully difficult for all involved and hard to comment on.
However you cannot change the rules to meet everyone's needs, the basic tenets of the christian faith are fixed, people who do not adhere to them should not be leading the church.
John Poynton, Tiverton, UK
When the church (whatever denomination) preaches Jesus Christ and salvation, adhering to the principles of the bible which we are supposed to believe in, the church grows and the power of God is seen at work.
When the gospel is watered down, explained away, and the church is led by people who do not believe that the Bible, or Jesus, or the power of God, are real and can be experienced today, then it is no wonder that the 'church' is seen as ineffective, weak, and failing.
It is so good to read of the work of Peter Akinola - and to know that there are many leaders who will not compromise their beliefs to satisfy the unbelievers. Let us all learn from his example, and look for God moving in power amongst us, to reclaim Biblical values in the church worldwide.
Tony Lewis, Epsom, England
I'm catholic ,but i like his point of view about church as a whole.
May God bless him and give him many more years.
evelyn, lluton, England
Bishop Akinola relies on the Old Testament for his beliefs on homosexuality. There is NO condemnation of homosexuality in any of the 4 Gospels! Anyhow, as a Christian he might hate the sin but he shows little love for the sinner!!!!
anu bose, ottawa, Canada
THe Bishop is right. Regarding the German national's comments - homosexuals are welcome to be Christians. Homosexuality is a sin - God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. God made Adam and Eve, not Nieve and Eve. The Bishop isn't condeming homosexuals - but homosexual lifestyles. They are the issue, not the people. God is love and has never driven away anyone who has come to Him. Its time for the UK and US churches to wake up and live by the Truth.
Dipak Chandarana, Crawley, West Sussex
Dr Akinola's hypocrisy rankles and reaches to the high heavens.
At a church service for the immediate past Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who is widely acknowledged to be an intolerant, democracy-bashing, hypocritical, selfish and corrupt individual, Akinola praised him to the high heavens and engaged in a toe-curdling and embarassing sycophantic act, one surely not expected from someone of his status.
I surely would have had more respect for Dr Akinola if he had used his position in a similar manner as Desmond Tutu of South Africa and Pius Ncube of Zimbabwe.
Ayo Odelusi, Wallington, UK
I applaud his commitment to the true teachings of God. It takes courage to stand up and maintain ones belief in the face of heavy criticism. May others continue his great works.
James, Brisbane, Australia
Thank God for Dr Akinola, it's my sincere prayer that all his effort will not be vain. He's well informed and a fundamentalist. I wish him all the best, although am a muslim but am proud of him. He's a good religious leader and he's one of few religious leaders that one can emulate.
Kunle, lagos, Lagos/Nigeria
Although I am not an Anglican, as an uncompromising believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I fully support the standpoints of Peter Akinola and millions of faithfulls who do not share the sinful habits and beliefs of western Anglicans. Jesus has already won the battle and i expect the Anglican leaders in the west to strictly abide with the injunctions of the Holy Bible in the interest of the lost generations in Europe.
Tunde Martins, Abuja, Nigeria
As an liberal Nigerian living in Europe, I would say that in Nigeria what the west calls homophobia is essentially the norm. Homosexuality exist in private but it is frowned upon publicly.
The country is very conservative and so is the Anglican church. In fact women still HAVE to have their heads covered at church.
There is no point of a clash between the Western and Sfrican churches on this. There is no point of having a single church. The church should break up. That way the Western christians can go on with their reforms and the Nigerians can do theirs at their own pace.
Azuka Ike, Zurich , Switzerland
It would be nice, if we could have Bishops with firm beliefs like Akinola. The reason, I think, why the Anglican Church shrinks as it does is that its representatives don't seem to believe. Without belief, there can be no religion; without religion there can be no church. The current fixation with inclusiveness is part of the many problems facing the institution. Personally, I am delighted to read that Akinola has chosen to stop navel gazing and gone on the offensive.
Alex Story, London, England
Bishop Akinola's views are outrageous. He reads the Bible "by the light of his own conceit" to coin a well -worn phrase. If keeping the Anglican Communion together means fawning to such bigots then better we get rid of it and fight to preserve a Church of England where God is a God of love and all men and women are welcome whether " straight" or "gay".
Phil Allcock, Niedernhausen, Germany
The Episcopal Church in the U.S. is a spineless eninty.
Kow Towing to polotical correctness.
Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA
I found Archbishop Peter's views inspiring. For once, I felt I could be proud to be an Anglican. I usually feel embarressed when you read about the endless arguements among the Western leaders/bishops etc based on their liberal interpretation of the bible. No wonder their churches are emptying rapidly while in the Africa we are seeing amazing growth! People are interested in learning about the saving power of Christ not about political agendas etc.
carol, Hawkes Bay, NZ
I applaud Bishop Akinola for receiving the word of God and living a live true to Christian values. His church is growing under his guidance while the church of England withers under the limp leadership of successive archbishops of Canterbury aptly demonstrating that the people desire the conservative truth of the word of God.
Kevin, UK,
So the answer is to dismiss religion as superstition and all non-westerners as ignorant? This does not sound to me particularly convincing.
michael livingston, cheltenham , pa usa
Nigeria is blessed to have Christian leaders like Peter Akinola who do not compromise on the integrity of the faith for political expedience.
Mark Roberts, Nottingham, UK
++Akinola is a true apostle of Christ. With him and his followers in the Spirit, the gospel will prevail.
Frank Van Zant, Colo. Springs, CO
"To modern, liberal, Western eyes, Dr Akinola is at the most extreme end of fundamentalist Christianity".
It is only a few years since Dr Akinola's 'Bible-believing' views were the norm in Britain.... and now the views of an 'extremist'. The deep-rooted cause of this change I believe is the modern exegesis which promotes human speculation over divine inspiration. How sad this is for those of us who still do have faith in the infinite, unchanging, God of the Bible.
Africa, at least, appears to have a brighter future than we do.
AR, Highlands,
"Africa, the same place people believe that having sex with virgins cures AIDS."
Jeremy, did anyone ever tell you as a child that bigotry isn't nice?
D. Kane, Long County, GA
So let me get this straight, the only place in the world with an increasing Anglican flock is Africa, the same place people believe that having sex with virgins cures AIDS.
When will people wake up to the fact that religion is nothing but superstition and that religious wars are basically like fighting over who has the best imaginary friend. All very very sad.
Jeremy, Sydney, Oz
Thank you for sharing this interview on the internet. I am so grateful to be able to read what
Bishop Akinola is saying. Some things can become indefensible even if at one time they
represented truth. Civilizations, nations, institutions do drift. As one writer shared regarding the American Church, "It is a mile wide and an inch deep".
Malcolm Eudaley, Olathe, Kansas (US)
How NOVEL your NOVEL!
Now, let's get back to reality and our regularly scheduled honorability.
Leonardo Ricardo, San Juan, Puerto Rico,