Bishop says gay rights secure

Earlier this month Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Francisco voted not to ordain an openly gay bishop, but the issue will be on the table again at the convention. The American church will focus on its strained relationship with the worldwide Anglican Communion. For his part, Spong said in an interview that a church divided over the issue is better than a unified church that fosters discrimination. His answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q. What makes you think the gay-rights war is done?

A. No prejudice is ever debated that isn't already dying. The reason we debate a prejudice is because it isn't holding anymore. We saw black people as being less than human. But we began to see them as human beings. It took a while to work that out. We used to define women as dependent, weak, emotionally hysterical, incapable of bearing responsibilities. Women began to challenge that in the 20th century. The same thing is happening with gay people.

Q. And now the church has an openly gay bishop, the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

A. He is the first honest gay bishop. We've had gay bishops and priests for years.

Q. Do you honestly see this acceptance of gay bishops as an inevitable development in the life of the church?

A. Yes. I grew up as a racist in a segregated world (in Charlotte, N.C.). Over time, my mother changed -- but not a lot. I changed more because I had more opportunities. I grew up looking forward to having a wife who was a servant, and then I looked in the eyes of my daughters and I didn't want them to be part of that.

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""No prejudice is ever debated that isn't already dying. The reason we debate a prejudice is because it isn't holding anymore.""

In a way, I guess he's right about that too. It's nice to hear comments like that from a religious person, because Lord knows we usually just hear all the negatives coming from the religious folks. I went to read the rest of his comments too, and he seems like a genuinely good person. Good for him. Too bad there aren't more like him in the world.

He has been a part of the "religious left" for a number of years and has written a number of books ... including one on how the Bible has been misused to discriminate against gays. He really stands out as a voice of reason and compassion in the religious community.

set the tone. I hope I'm right to feel confident.