A couple of stories on Bishop Desmond Tutu and an interview he gave to the BBC.
Mems
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7100295.stmBBC NEWS
Tutu chides Church for gay stance
South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has criticised the Anglican Church and its leadership for its attitudes towards homosexuality.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4, he said the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, had failed to demonstrate that God is "welcoming".
He also repeated accusations that the Church was "obsessed" with the issue of gay priests.
He said it should rather be focusing on global problems such as Aids.
"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and Aids - a devastating pandemic, and conflict," said Archbishop Tutu, 76.
"God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another.
"In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality."
Criticising Dr Williams, he said: "Why doesn't he demonstrate a particular attribute of God's which is that God is a welcoming God."
'Extraordinarily homophobic'
Archbishop Tutu referred to the debate about whether Gene Robinson, who is openly gay, could serve as the bishop of New Hampshire.
He said the Anglican Church had seemed "extraordinarily homophobic" in its handling of the issue, and that he had felt "saddened" and "ashamed" of his church at the time.
Asked if he still felt ashamed, he said: "If we are going to not welcome or invite people because of sexual orientation, yes.
"If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn't worship that God."
Dr Williams has been working to limit divisions between liberal and traditionalist Anglicans that came to the fore following Bishop Robinson's consecration in 2003.
Following his plea for compromise, leaders of the Episcopal Church in the US agreed to halt the consecration of gay priests as bishops, to prevent a split in the Anglican Communion.
In the interview, Archbishop Tutu also rebuked religious conservatives who said homosexuality was a choice.
"It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual.
"You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred.
"It's like saying you choose to be black in a race-infected society."
From Calvary To Lambeth will be aired on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, 27 November at 2000 GMT.
http://www.mask.org.za/article.php?cat=religion&id=1759Tutu hits out at church for attitude to gays
by Jennifer Gold, Christian Today
Tutu hits out at church for attitude to gays
In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu, accused the Church of being “obsessed” with the issue of gay priests, while ignoring pressing global needs such as poverty and HIV. "Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and Aids - a devastating pandemic, and conflict," said Archbishop Tutu, 76.
"God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality." Archbishop Tutu went on to criticise the spiritual leader of the 70-million strong worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, of overlooking God’s “welcoming” nature. "Why doesn’t he demonstrate a particular attribute of God’s which is that God is a welcoming God,” he told the BBC.
The Anglican Communion has been in turmoil over homosexuality since the US Episcopal Church elected the openly gay Gene Robinson to serve as the Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. According to the BBC, Archbishop Tutu said he had felt “saddened” and “ashamed” of his Church at the time of Bishop Robinson’s consecration and that the Anglican Communion had responded in an “extraordinarily homophobic” manner. When asked during the interview if he still felt ashamed, he replied: “If we are going to not welcome or invite people because of sexual orientation, yes. "If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn’t worship that God."
In North America particularly, conservative Anglicans are taking measures to separate themselves from more liberal churches and find new approaches that would allow them to live according to Scripture. Last month, an orthodox group in Ottawa, Canada, proposed the formation of a new branch of the Anglican Church of Canada that is more “biblically faithful” than the current Church after the Ottawa and Montreal Dioceses approved resolutions in October urging their respective bishops to allow clergy to bless same-sex unions.
The outspoken Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola and prominent traditionalist, Gregory Venables in Argentina, have said they will continue to offer a home for parishes and dioceses who want to leave the liberal-leaning Episcopal Church. An October 30 communiqué signed by nine Primates of the Global South called for a postponement of the Lambeth Conference and stated, “We reject the religion of accommodation and cultural conformity that offers neither transforming power nor eternal hope.”
in all seriosuness I was hurt. Its weird, i've been called a dyke and god knows how many other horrible things, but i dont know why this hit hard today?
Out
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Out 
