Please credit Episcopal News Service . The Primate of the Church in Australia, Dr. Peter Carnley, has suggested the church should bless such unions and concentrate on the spiritual quality of the friendship without inquiring into intimate physical matters. The church's calling is to foster such friendships. Carnley's paper asks. Following publication of an edited excerpt of his paper in the Bulletin, a national news magazine, two senior members of the Sydney diocese, both possible candidates for the position of archbishop of Sydney, Australia's biggest city, strongly criticized the primate's views.
Sexual behavior is a crucial part of human behavior.
The Christian faith has crucial things to say about work, how we earn money, how we treat other people and our sex lives. Carnley argued in his paper that the Bible had little or nothing to say about homosexual behavior. At the same time the value of friendship should be nurtured by the church as an expression of love and commitment, he said. Homosexual relationships are not recognized by the Australian government. Indeed it is celebrated.