When Kevin Dixon was installed as cathedral Dean in the Diocese of Huron, an imam read from the Koran to celebrate the occasion.
Dixon has now moved on to become vice-president of operations at International Justice Mission Canada (IJM), an organisation dedicated to protecting the poor from violence throughout the developing world.
When he was employed by the Diocese of New Westminster, Dixon was one of the first rectors to offer blessings to same-sex couples during which time, Dixon was critical of J.I. Packer’s understanding of the Bible:
The Rev. Kevin Dixon, priest at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Kerrisdale, meanwhile believes Packer is adopting a “literalistic” reading of the Bible.
“It’s important for people to understand that the holy scriptures is a very nuanced document. I think we need to allow people room to come to a new understanding,” said Dixon, the local newspaper reported.
“I have not always held the view that same-sex relationships are consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but now I do.”
More recently, Dixon has been occupying himself by observing the elections in El Salvador to verify the free exercise of the right to vote.
I’m not sure whether IJM is active in the Middle East or not, but if it is, perhaps Dixon could take his imam along to observe the violence – forgive me for being literalistic – inflicted on the poor by Islamic State.
As a matter of interest I don’t take the Bible literally. It is a beautiful book of inspired metaphor and prose. Far from being a biblical scholar, I can attest with a sense of certainty that there are very few damning passages regards same sex attraction. Our more ‘fundy friends’ I am sure would take issue with that offering but there you have it.
Those of us who know ‘a little something more’ about the situation regards the Dean of St. Paul’s resignation must acknowledge the fact that a breach of trust occurred and the fall out from that will linger for quite some time.
In typical civil servant mentality however, he can simply be diverted to another office within the “corporate church structure” and carry on another form of ministry. Ain’t it grand.
“Far from being a biblical scholar …” Well, with Dixon, you can say that again! There’s opinion, and then there’s informed opinion: http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Homosex-Priscilla-D-M-Turner/dp/1482347865/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366258469&sr=1-1&keywords=holy+homosex . If he had invited Jim or me in to speak while we were all in the same diocese, he’d have been better off, and his former parish might be more flourishing nowadays.
“It’s important for people to understand that the holy scriptures is a very nuanced document.” This is short hand for “the bible means whatever you want it to mean and you are obliged to believe or follow anything it says.”
You are correct Tony. This fool is using Orwellian double speak to discredit the Inspired and Preserved Word of God.
As for my own beliefs I shall summarize…
The Holy Bible contains God given Truths. The Parables given to us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are metaphors. That Sodom was destroyed is a literal truth. That there are several passages that speak directly to the issue of homosexual behaviour and all of them clearly tell us that such behaviour is sin is also a literal Truth.
Amen.
It is funny, isn’t it, how all these fools think that anybody is fooled by their dodges. You either take the bible as authority or you take the trends of the time you happen to live in as authority. That’s the choices. Those who whine about the former invariably end up living a life based on ideas made up by people they don’t know anything about who work in television.
Amen, and Amen.
There is a third way, and it’s half of what St. Paul says about this matter in Rom. 1 (the other half is that Moses was agin it): use the eyes that you have in your head and the brains between your ears. He is saying that EVERYBODY knows, but nobody does, even those who grew up as pagans without any Bible, therefore there must be salvation from above.
I worry about what this appointment means for IJM’s commitment to Biblical-faithfulness.
It is concerning. IJM is a big organization, though, and the culture of the people who are doing the rescue work won’t change so easily.