Effective April 1, 2009, The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island, deposed Ann Holmes Redding as a priest in the Episcopal Church. Dr. Redding lives in the Diocese of Olympia Washington, but was canonically resident in the Diocese of Rhode Island, where she was under the authority of Bishop Wolf. The determination came after a process lasting nearly twenty-one months.
In June 2007, the Diocese of Rhode Island learned of a public profession of adherence to the Muslim faith by Dr. Redding. Bishop Wolf conferred with Dr. Redding who acknowledged taking her Shahadah to become a Muslim. Bishop Wolf then issued a Pastoral Direction to Dr. Redding, directing her to undertake a period of one year for discernment of her faith commitment. After the agreed upon period, the status of Dr. Redding was considered by the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Rhode Island.
The Standing Committee determined that Dr. Redding had abandoned the Communion of the Episcopal Church, within the meaning of the Canons of the Church, by her formal admission into a religious body not in Communion with the Episcopal Church. The Bishop affirmed that determination and issued an inhibition prohibiting Dr. Redding from exercising the gifts and spiritual authority conferred on her by Episcopal Ordination, and from public ministry.
The Inhibition continued until March 31, 2009 during which time Dr. Redding had the opportunity to withdraw, or issue a notice of intention to withdraw, from the Muslim faith. Dr. Redding also had the opportunity to renounce her orders. Dr. Redding did neither and, under the Canons of the Church, Bishop Wolf was required to consider deposing Dr. Redding.
Bishop Wolf found Dr. Redding to be a woman of utmost integrity and their conversations over the past two years have been open, honest and respectful. However, Bishop Wolf believes that a priest of the Church cannot be both a Christian and a Muslim. Consequently, as a result of the abandonment of the Communion of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Wolf imposed a sentence of deposition in accordance with the Canons of the Church.
I support of the Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf’s decision to depose Ms Redding; for while there is harmony between the principal teachings of the Bible and the Qur’an, there is disharmony between the Christian and Islamic religious traditions.
ReplyDeleteThe Qur’an explicitly teaches that Jesus is the Christ; however, the Islamic religious teachers do not teach this. Therefore, Ms Redding could have agreed to follow the teachings of the Qur’an without embracing the Islamic religion. For whatever reason, she did not.
While I am supportive of the Bishop's decision, I believe that it was a little premature. I am quite disheartened that this issue did not result in an honest examination of the Bible and the Qur’an. The Qur’an is perhaps the easiest book in the world to misunderstand and misinterpret. The main reason is that it is not ordered chronologically. Christians should be justifiably mistrusting of Muslims, because the chapters that teach social justice are mixed with the ones that instruct Muslims to harm Christians.
Therefore, if the Qur’an is read as is, then there is utter confusion. However, when the Qur’an is read chronologically, then there is clarity. The Qur’an repeatedly states that it is easy to understand.
“And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?” (5:17)
However, after Mohammed’s death, the Islamic religious leaders disordered the Qur’an which made it extremely difficult to understand. It has remained so for over 1,000 years.
Given that your Diocese was at the centre of the proverbial storm, I was hoping that your discussions could have been the catalyst that would bring a clearer understanding of the Qur’an, for all of our sakes.
Regards,
Walter
www.BrothersKeptApart.com