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CNN Live Today

Reverend Gene Robinson Confirmed Last Night

Aired August 06, 2003 - 08:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: History and controversy, after being cleared of the eleventh hour allegations, the Reverend Gene Robinson was confirmed last night as the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church. Robinson's candidacy sharply divided the church and his confirmation seems to have worsened the crisis.
I spoke with the Reverend Robinson earlier and I asked him about the man who held up his appointment when he sent an e-mail saying that the reverend had touched him inappropriately.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. GENE ROBINSON, EPISCOPAL BISHOP-ELECT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: If I have hurt Mr. Lewis in any way, I certainly apologize for that. But I do think it's important to note that the inappropriate touching that he mentioned in his e-mail was, indeed, something that I and many people do all the time, which is when speaking to someone we may lay a hand on the arm or touch someone on the shoulder. And I am sorry that that made him uncomfortable. But this was in a very public setting with about 300 people around and it certainly does not rise to the level of harassment. And even Mr. Lewis said that he very much regrets using that word, because that's now what it was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: We are going to hear from both sides of the issue concerning the confirmation of the reverend bishop -- Reverend Robinson as bishop. Actually, I do want to make a correction on that. We were supposed to have both sides this morning. Unfortunately, that will not be the case.

Canon David Anderson, the president of the American Anglican Council, could not join us this morning.

But I want to take a moment before I introduce Reverend Michael Hopkins, who is the president of Integrity, it's the church's gay advocacy group -- we are going to be speaking with him.

Yesterday, though, Canon David Anderson did speak with our producers. I want to go ahead and read something to you that he did say. He said, "Those who say this is just a bump in the road similar to what happened after the ordination of women, first of all, don't recognize that after the ordination of women, thousands left the church, but secondly, and more importantly, this is much more serious."

Those words once again from Canon David Anderson, the president of the American Anglican Council.

So at this time I would like to bring on our guest, Reverend Michael Hopkins, president of Integrity.

And I just want to ask you quickly off the top here, what exactly was your reaction to this vote?

REV. MICHAEL HOPKINS, PRESIDENT, INTEGRITY: Well, obviously I was thrilled. It was a great day not only for gay and lesbian people yesterday, but for the whole church.

COLLINS: How so?

HOPKINS: It says that, in the words of a hymn that we've been singing in the church for decades, "there's a wideness in god's mercy like the wideness of the sea." We finally lived more fully into that great old hymn that we sing.

COLLINS: Do you not think this will change the church at all?

HOPKINS: It is a change in the church, yes. But it's a change that has been gradually happening for the last 30 years. This is just another step in a long series of changes as the church has tried to become truer to the gospel.

COLLINS: There have been some who have had some pretty tough words on this decision, Reverend Hopkins. One of them was to be our guest this morning, Canon David Anderson, who said that this is a pastoral emergency.

What's your reaction to words like those?

HOPKINS: Well, I wish that that kind of rhetoric would be toned down a bit. Obviously I understand that many people are troubled and confused by this decision and even in a certain amount of pain. I myself have compassion for them because I have experienced that myself in the church. But I do think that there is far more that holds us together and I would hope that people would remember and concentrate on that this morning, that as we say in the church, Jesus was lord yesterday and Jesus is lord today.

COLLINS: Well, in fact, the archbishop of Canterbury has said that he foresees "difficult days ahead."

What is your fear and do you have any fear about the unity of the church now?

HOPKINS: He's right, there are difficult days ahead. We are in what I would like to call a family feud. But like the family feuds we used to have at home around my own dinner table, this family will hold together.

COLLINS: Let's go ahead and take a minute now to listen to some more criticism after this decision. A leader in the church, the Episcopal Church.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. KENDALL HARMON: A fundamental line of Christian teaching has been crossed. I mean this forever changes this church's teaching unless it repents and says we messed up. And what you're talking about is one of the big lines on the road. I mean if you erase one of the big lines on a road, what you create is total havoc and chaos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Total havoc and chaos? Obviously you do not agree with that.

HOPKINS: No, I don't believe that at all. Certainly a lot of pain, a lot of hard feeling, but total havoc and chaos, no. The church is far stronger than that. I think this is an opportunity, actually, to expand the church's mission, for us to know that everyone is welcome in this Episcopal Church of ours.

COLLINS: Reverend Hopkins, one last question for you, if we could, please.

I had heard over the course of the last couple of days some of the church leaders mentioning that it is likely or possible that there have been other gay or lesbian leaders in the church who just have chosen not so share that fact with the congregation or with the rest of the church as a whole.

Why do you think that this was the timing or this was right for Bishop-Elect Robinson?

HOPKINS: He's right, there certainly have been those in the past who have had to live in hiding and dishonesty. The timing is right because the church desperately needs to establish a culture of honesty within itself. That is vital to our continuing mission, to our credibility in this culture of ours.

COLLINS: All right, live from Minneapolis, Minnesota this morning, Reverend Michael Hopkins, president of Integrity, the church's gay advocacy group.

Thanks for your time, Reverend.

HOPKINS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 6, 2003 - 08:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: History and controversy, after being cleared of the eleventh hour allegations, the Reverend Gene Robinson was confirmed last night as the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church. Robinson's candidacy sharply divided the church and his confirmation seems to have worsened the crisis.
I spoke with the Reverend Robinson earlier and I asked him about the man who held up his appointment when he sent an e-mail saying that the reverend had touched him inappropriately.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. GENE ROBINSON, EPISCOPAL BISHOP-ELECT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: If I have hurt Mr. Lewis in any way, I certainly apologize for that. But I do think it's important to note that the inappropriate touching that he mentioned in his e-mail was, indeed, something that I and many people do all the time, which is when speaking to someone we may lay a hand on the arm or touch someone on the shoulder. And I am sorry that that made him uncomfortable. But this was in a very public setting with about 300 people around and it certainly does not rise to the level of harassment. And even Mr. Lewis said that he very much regrets using that word, because that's now what it was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: We are going to hear from both sides of the issue concerning the confirmation of the reverend bishop -- Reverend Robinson as bishop. Actually, I do want to make a correction on that. We were supposed to have both sides this morning. Unfortunately, that will not be the case.

Canon David Anderson, the president of the American Anglican Council, could not join us this morning.

But I want to take a moment before I introduce Reverend Michael Hopkins, who is the president of Integrity, it's the church's gay advocacy group -- we are going to be speaking with him.

Yesterday, though, Canon David Anderson did speak with our producers. I want to go ahead and read something to you that he did say. He said, "Those who say this is just a bump in the road similar to what happened after the ordination of women, first of all, don't recognize that after the ordination of women, thousands left the church, but secondly, and more importantly, this is much more serious."

Those words once again from Canon David Anderson, the president of the American Anglican Council.

So at this time I would like to bring on our guest, Reverend Michael Hopkins, president of Integrity.

And I just want to ask you quickly off the top here, what exactly was your reaction to this vote?

REV. MICHAEL HOPKINS, PRESIDENT, INTEGRITY: Well, obviously I was thrilled. It was a great day not only for gay and lesbian people yesterday, but for the whole church.

COLLINS: How so?

HOPKINS: It says that, in the words of a hymn that we've been singing in the church for decades, "there's a wideness in god's mercy like the wideness of the sea." We finally lived more fully into that great old hymn that we sing.

COLLINS: Do you not think this will change the church at all?

HOPKINS: It is a change in the church, yes. But it's a change that has been gradually happening for the last 30 years. This is just another step in a long series of changes as the church has tried to become truer to the gospel.

COLLINS: There have been some who have had some pretty tough words on this decision, Reverend Hopkins. One of them was to be our guest this morning, Canon David Anderson, who said that this is a pastoral emergency.

What's your reaction to words like those?

HOPKINS: Well, I wish that that kind of rhetoric would be toned down a bit. Obviously I understand that many people are troubled and confused by this decision and even in a certain amount of pain. I myself have compassion for them because I have experienced that myself in the church. But I do think that there is far more that holds us together and I would hope that people would remember and concentrate on that this morning, that as we say in the church, Jesus was lord yesterday and Jesus is lord today.

COLLINS: Well, in fact, the archbishop of Canterbury has said that he foresees "difficult days ahead."

What is your fear and do you have any fear about the unity of the church now?

HOPKINS: He's right, there are difficult days ahead. We are in what I would like to call a family feud. But like the family feuds we used to have at home around my own dinner table, this family will hold together.

COLLINS: Let's go ahead and take a minute now to listen to some more criticism after this decision. A leader in the church, the Episcopal Church.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. KENDALL HARMON: A fundamental line of Christian teaching has been crossed. I mean this forever changes this church's teaching unless it repents and says we messed up. And what you're talking about is one of the big lines on the road. I mean if you erase one of the big lines on a road, what you create is total havoc and chaos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Total havoc and chaos? Obviously you do not agree with that.

HOPKINS: No, I don't believe that at all. Certainly a lot of pain, a lot of hard feeling, but total havoc and chaos, no. The church is far stronger than that. I think this is an opportunity, actually, to expand the church's mission, for us to know that everyone is welcome in this Episcopal Church of ours.

COLLINS: Reverend Hopkins, one last question for you, if we could, please.

I had heard over the course of the last couple of days some of the church leaders mentioning that it is likely or possible that there have been other gay or lesbian leaders in the church who just have chosen not so share that fact with the congregation or with the rest of the church as a whole.

Why do you think that this was the timing or this was right for Bishop-Elect Robinson?

HOPKINS: He's right, there certainly have been those in the past who have had to live in hiding and dishonesty. The timing is right because the church desperately needs to establish a culture of honesty within itself. That is vital to our continuing mission, to our credibility in this culture of ours.

COLLINS: All right, live from Minneapolis, Minnesota this morning, Reverend Michael Hopkins, president of Integrity, the church's gay advocacy group.

Thanks for your time, Reverend.

HOPKINS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com