The tragic reality of bishops and other Christian leaders denying biblical truth is no longer a rare occurrence. Nevertheless, certain examples stand out as glaring proof that the theological left is growing loonier by the day.

The consecration of Reverend V. Gene Robinson as the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire will long be remembered in the history of the church as a craven act of moral rebellion and the rejection of Holy Scripture. November 2, 2003 is a day that will live in biblical infamy.

The emergency meeting of the primates of the Anglican Communion ended yesterday with the 37 national leaders of the Anglican churches still trying to prevent a schism in their ranks. They released a unanimous statement warning that their communion would be torn asunder by action of the Episcopal Church (USA) to consecrate the first openly homosexual bishop of the church. The release of the statement came after two days of meetings in London under the glare of press speculation and public attention. The stakes could not be higher.

Arnold Schwarzenegger started the week an actor looking for a new job and ended the week as the governor-elect of the nation’s largest state. Gov. Gray Davis now goes down in history as the only California governor to be recalled, and leaves his successor a mountain of unsolved problems. But, while the nation ponder the meaning of all that, other developments demand our attention.

“We have come to regard the Crown as the head of our morality,” explained Walter Bagehot, the most influential political journalist of the Victorian era. “We have come to believe that it is natural to have a virtuous sovereign, and that the domestic virtues are as likely to be found on thrones as eminent when there.” It’s a good thing Bagehot is not alive to witness the current heir to the throne.

Every important issue in the church essentially comes down to the authority of the Bible. The debate over the election of the Episcopal Church’s first openly homosexual bishop is a prime example of this inescapable fact–and a closer look at the arguments reveals the lengths to which homosexual activists must go in order the neutralize the Bible in the debate.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is, if you will forgive the expression, in a pickle. Rowan Williams was appointed as primate of the Church of England with full knowledge that he supports the legitimization of homosexual behavior and the full inclusion of homosexuals in the church. His appointment was itself a matter of controversy, with evangelicals warning that any move toward homosexual marriage or ordination would mean a schism in the church. The new archbishop promised to be considerate, reasonable, and deliberate. Give me a chance, he chided. His time has run out.

The tragic soap opera of the Episcopal Church’s debate over the election of a homosexual bishop came to a conclusion on Tuesday as the House of Bishops elected Canon Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. The 62 to 43 vote (with 2 abstentions) came only after the bishops conducted a hasty investigation into last-minute accusations against the bishop-elect. These charges obscured the basic fact that Canon Robinson is biblically disqualified simply by the fact that he is a practicing homosexual. That apparently did not matter to the 62 bishops who arrogantly denied the authority of Scripture and the clear moral teachings of their own church. [see Washington Times article]

A gathering of Episcopalians generally does not look too threatening. This is pretty much a Brooks Brothers group, whose church conventions look tame and quiet compared to their low church brothers and sisters. But not this year.