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Gay bishop-elect: 'I do believe this is of the spirit'
(CNN) -- Episcopalians in New Hampshire elected the church's first openly gay bishop Saturday. The Rev. V. Gene Robinson cannot take office until he gains the approval of clergy and laity at a national church convention in July in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but his election has already stirred controversy. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper recently interviewed Robinson for a broadcast Tuesday evening. COOPER: I spoke with the Rev. Gene Robinson, whose title until he takes office is actually Canon Robinson, shortly after his election. Canon Robinson, when you realized you were gay, did you think you had any future in the church? ROBINSON: It was a terrible risk. I thought I might not have a future as an ordained person in the church. I'd hoped that the church wouldn't reject me, but I thought my ordained ministry might be over. COOPER: Because this was back in 1986, right? ROBINSON: And it's hard to remember how the world was just that few years ago. It was a very tough place to come out, and the church really hadn't dealt with these issues yet. COOPER: As you well know, there are many conservatives in the church who say the Scriptures condemn homosexuality. How do you respond to that? ROBINSON: We'd need two days to talk about that. But what I would say is what we're talking today about faithful, monogamous, lifelong intentioned relationships between people of the same sex is just simply not addressed in Scripture. The references ... are to people who are thought to be heterosexually oriented who are acting in homosexual [ways], which is against their nature. The whole [issue] of sexual orientation is only about 100 years old. COOPER: Can you minister to those who oppose you as bishop? ROBINSON: Absolutely. I have done that for 17 years as the assistant to the bishop in the Diocese of New Hampshire. I've worked with people for whom this [is] a very troubling issue, and they, I think, would tell you that they've come to know me as a faithful pastor, and that I'm able to serve them. COOPER: You were one of four candidates nominated, I believe. ROBINSON: That's right. COOPER: Now elected. But it won't be official unless approved in July by the larger church body. ROBINSON: That's right. COOPER: That's going to be a very divisive meeting? ROBINSON: It might be, but I also expect it to be a very prayerful, thoughtful meeting. Bishops are elected to be bishops of the whole church, and so there's this consent process that confirms an election in a local diocese. COOPER: And what would you say -- I mean, I don't know if you speak at these kinds of things, but if you were to speak -- I mean, if you were to argue your case, if you will -- why should you be a bishop? ROBINSON: Partly because the Diocese of New Hampshire has elected me, and in our church, a diocese chooses [its] own leader. But also because [in] the Diocese of New Hampshire, sexual orientation was almost a footnote in this election. They were looking at my experiences, their experience of me over 28 years, and my orientation had little or nothing to do with what they thought qualified me to be the bishop. COOPER: When you were elected, your two children were there. ROBINSON: My son-in-law. COOPER: Your son-in-law and your partner, as well. ROBINSON: Absolutely. COOPER: What was that moment like? ROBINSON: Well, wonderful, because they've lived through a couple of other elections with me in which I wasn't as fortunate, and it was a wonderful thing for our whole family. And they have been so supportive. My two grown daughters are just my greatest friends in all this. Well, and my partner already left his career with the Peace Corps to come and be with me in New Hampshire with me when my girls were young. And so he stood by me all the way. COOPER: You know, those that oppose you becoming bishop -- do you understand where they [are] coming from? Can you walk in their shoes? ROBINSON: Absolutely. And we've walked [down] this road before. When we were considering the ordination of women and women to be bishops, you can find Scripture against that as well. And so any time you're changing the tradition of the church and feeling that the spirit is moving you into a new, different direction, that's a tough thing for people. And I can understand that. None of us like change. But I do believe this is of the spirit.
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