Prästen
Nick Howe
i Engelska kyrkan i Stockholm
From: torsten@nenzen.net
To: stockholm.anglican@comhem.se
Sent:
Sunday, December
Subject: No, but I will obey excommunication.
Nick Howe.
Regarding your talk with me
today in the church building, where you ordered me
I shall never abide by your two instructions.
You will not dictate with whom I may speak, with whom I may greet, what I may speak about, or to whom that I am in conversation with decide to offer a Christian tract.
I hope this is absolutely clear to you.
Your only option, if you so strongly desire to hinder me from befriending people and inviting people to know God personally through faith and obedience to Jesus Christ, is to officially declare in writing that I am no longer allowed, on behalf of the Church Council, to enter the church building.
Do we understand one another Nick?
Cordially yours,
Torsten Nenzén
From: torsten@nenzen.net
To:
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 11:43 PM
Subject: rebuking heresy
Dear [name of a Stockholm Anglican church member],
Thank- you for confiding with me briefly last Sunday at church.
Beneath is a summary of theological reasons for change.
Attached is an email discussion with Nick Howe. I choose to forward it to you as a public material because: 1) the discussion branches from my public refutation of a public statement published in the Spire and the Diocese in Europe, and 2) I recognise your will to revert the Anglican Church in Stockholm in a direction towards Christ.
Apart from Nick’s publicly stated contradiction to the Bible in sexual ethics (homosexuality), Nick has also expressed to me, during a two hour interview with him, statements in opposition to the core of Christian doctrine. Nick’s heresies are extreme to such degree that his confessions of faith cannot be deemed as Christian. In short, judging by Nick’s own words – Nick is not a Christian – and hence is unfit for Christian priesthood.
On July 19, 2007, Nick Howe asserted statements during an interview indicating the following three heresies:
(1) Nick does not believe in the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Nick believes that salvation is attainable also through Hinduism. Nick specifically stated that he believes that a religious Hindu can find God also through Hinduism.
Nick appears to deny:
· (Acts 4:12) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
· (John 14:6) Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
·
THE UNIQUENESS AND UNIVERSALITY OF CHRIST
We affirm that there is only one Saviour and only one gospel, although there is
a wide diversity of evangelistic approaches. We recognise that everyone has some
knowledge of God through his general revelation in nature. But we deny that this
can save, for people suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. We also reject
as derogatory to Christ and the gospel every kind of syncretism and dialogue
which implies that Christ speaks equally through all religions and ideologies.
Jesus Christ, being himself the only God-man, who gave himself as the only
ransom for sinners, is the only mediator between God and people. There is no
other name by which we must be saved. All men and women are perishing because of
sin, but God loves everyone, not wishing that any should perish but that all
should repent. Yet those who reject Christ repudiate the joy of salvation and
condemn themselves to eternal separation from God. To proclaim Jesus as "the
Saviour of the world" is not to affirm that all people are either automatically
or ultimately saved, still less to affirm that all religions offer salvation in
Christ. Rather it is to proclaim God's love for a world of sinners and to invite
everyone to respond to him as Saviour and Lord in the wholehearted personal
commitment of repentance and faith. Jesus Christ has been exalted above every
other name; we long for the day when every knee shall bow to him and every
tongue shall confess him Lord. (Gal. 1:6-9;Rom. 1:18-32; I Tim. 2:5,6; Acts
4:12; John 3:16-19; II Pet. 3:9; II Thess. 1:7-9;John 4:42; Matt. 11:28; Eph.
1:20,21; Phil. 2:9-11)
(www.lausanne.org/lausanne-1974/lausanne-covenant.html)
(2) Nick stated that he does not believe in the historical inerrancy of the canonical Scriptures.
Nick appears to deny:
· (2 Timothy 3:16) All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
·
THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE BIBLE
We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New
Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God, without
error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and
practice. We also affirm the power of God's word to accomplish his purpose of
salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and women. For God's
revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy
Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of God's people in every
culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes and thus discloses
to the whole Church ever more of the many-coloured wisdom of God. (II Tim. 3:16;
II Pet. 1:21; John 10:35; Isa. 55:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 1:16, Matt. 5:17,18;
Jude 3; Eph. 1:17,18; 3:10,18)
(www.lausanne.org/lausanne-1974/lausanne-covenant.html)
(3) Nick does not believe in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Hence, there is no justification (and sanctification) from sin by faith in Jesus Christ. Nick specifically stated that he does not believe that Jesus Christ paid a price for mankind’s sins.
Nick appears to deny:
· (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23) You were bought at a price.
· (Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
· (Titus 2:14) … Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Cordially yours,
Torsten
From: Torsten Nenzen
To: stockholm.anglican@comhem.se
Sent:
Thursday, July
Subject: more discussions, please
Dear Nick Howe,
It was pleasurable to speak with you today and to begin to hear some of your eloquently expressed views regarding the Christian Bible, salvation and Jesus Christ. I would like to hear you further when you have time available Nick. I lack some clarity of doctrinal confession from you, and also some understanding of the rationale for some of your statements (ex. a religious Hindu finding salvation in God through Hinduism), although I know that you did try to explain your perspectives to me
Regarding historical errancy of Scripture, could you please again provide me with the examples that appear to you as historically errant in the Old Testament canon, and historically inconsistent in the New Testament canon. I hold to the perspective that all Scripture is inspired by God and inerrant. I believe in the absolute divine truthfulness and authority of the Christian Bible alone (no Apochrypha, no Qur'an, no Mormon books...).
A summary of my Biblically based belief: http://www.nenzen.net/TN%20Teologi%20discipleship.pdf
I particularly would like to hear more of your beliefs regarding regeneration and salvation through other means than through Jesus Christ, if I understood you correctly.
Nick, do
you believe and confess, as Peter did in Acts
I hope that we can find more time to discuss also Christian sexual ethics. As time was insufficient for us today, can we please continue talking on these very central and utmost important subjects.
When are you available next time Nick?
[…]
Best regards,
Torsten
From: Torsten Nenzen
To: Anglican Church
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
Dear Nick Howe,
I will exercise my freedom of religion and freedom to communicate with whoever I choose. If I want to offer to retain contact with anyone, by offering to someone that I am in conversation with, a little yellow card with contact details, I will do so - without interference of the Anglican chaplain.
You are not entitled to dictate with whom I may speak, what topics I may converse about, or attempt to hinder me from maintaining contact with persons that I dialogue with.
Kindly,
Torsten Nenzén
From: Anglican Church
To: Torsten Nenzen
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
Dear Torsten
Let me know when you are willing to sit down with me and talk without preconditions.
One thing I need to say before that happens is that while you are at church and afterwards while on the premises I must ask you not to distribute your little cards advertising your organisation. In the light of your actions you will understand why I say this.
Nick
From: Torsten Nenzen
To: Anglican Church
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
The Anglican Chaplain Nick Howe,
If you
would like to understand the Christian perspective on homosexuality, then please
read again my letter and the Bible verses sent to you on
Any person that prefers a lifestyle of active homosexuality rather than wanting to abide with the precepts of God has chosen a sinful lifestyle, and hence, has chosen not to be a Christian.
Do you, Nick, sanction active homosexuality as a Christian preference, or so you regard homosexual acts as sinful?
We will meet on Sunday.
Kindly,
Torsten Nenzén
From: Anglican Church
To: Torsten Nenzen
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
Torsten
I am not prepared to have a theological discussion with preconditions set by you. I am wanting to try and understand (amongst other things) how you as a person think it is alright to publicly accuse the priest of the church you attend of christophobia, and how we might make it possible for you to continue to be part of a church that is capable of honouring honest difference and which values its gay members.
I don't think that after the Annual Meeting is the time for that. I was hoping for an hour or so when we could talk. Are you free in the day?
Yours
Nick
From: Torsten Nenzen
To: Anglican Church
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
Dear Nick Howe,
Let's talk after the annual meeting next Sunday - as humans talk. If you then would like to discuss theological issues relating to Christophobia or Christophilia, then you will need to explicitly declare your Christology and attitude to the Christian Bible in advance.
If you are content with chit chatting about nice things, then let's talk while sipping our coffees.
Best regards,
Torsten
From: Anglican Church
To:
Sent: Monday,
April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
Dear Torsten
No. Let's just talk together like human beings talk. When might you be free?
Nick
From:
To: Anglican Church
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
Dear Nick Howe,
Sure, let's get down to business if you prefer.
With comprehensive and summarised answers to these two questions, there will be some better framework for a discussion.
Kindly,
Torsten Nenzén
----- Original Message -----
From: Anglican Church
To:
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Re: Christophobic Priests
Dear Torsten
Is this you, sending this out? If so, I think we need to talk. If you really think that I am Christophobic then we need to cut the pleasantries over coffee and discuss what you are doing here at St Peter and St Sigfrid and whether it is good either for the health of the church or your own spiritual well-being.
Yours
Nick
From:
To: bishop@dioceseineurope.org.uk ; david.hamid@europec-of-e.org.uk ; chaplain@st-albans.dk ; Stockholm.Anglican@chello.se ; arhibiskaps@lutheran.lv ; juris.calitis@lu.lv ; media@mfa.gov.lv
Sent:
Monday, April
Subject: Christophobic Priests
In
response to The Spire, page
And, in response to Anglican Diocese in Europe, Archdeacon Mark Oakley: www.europe.anglican.org/news/newsItems/2006/06_sep_01.html
To: Anglican Diocese in Europe, The Right Reverend Geoffrey Rowell, The Venerable Mark Oakley, Stockholm Anglican Chaplain Nick Howe, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Archbishop Janis Vanags, Riga Reverend Dr Juris Calitis, and the Press Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
The essential Biblical perspective on homosexuality:
Christophobia, heretical doctrine on sexual ethics, and Pro-gay theology harm societies.
Homosexuality is detestable, shameful, immoral, indecent, unnatural and is a sin against God. God does not justify homosexual acts, and therefore, neither shall any representative of Christ defend homosexual behaviour. Homosexuality should be condemned by the Christian church, and homosexuals that are unwilling to repent from homosexual acts must be excommunicated from the Christian church.
To condone homosexual lifestyle as righteous is heresy. Heretic priests that bless homosexual acts should therefore be excommunicated from the Christian church.
Persons who regretfully repent from homosexual sin to a compliant lifestyle with Jesus Christ can receive God’s forgiveness.
·
Do not lie
with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
(Leviticus
·
If a man
lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is
detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own
heads.
(Leviticus
·
Do you not
know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God
(
·
In a
similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah
[Genesis
(Jude
·
Because of
this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged
natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also
abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one
another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in
themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they
did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to
a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
(Romans
·
Anyone who
runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God;
whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone
comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house
or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
(
Cordially,
Torsten Nenzén