From today's Huffington Post -- reflections on the Episcopal House of Bishops by HRC Religion & Faith Program Director Harry Knox:The bishops have responded to arrogance and spiritual violence with a reasoned and loving statement of belief that is no less radical because it is also gentle. In doing so, they have reflected the Christ they serve and have given great hope to us all - hope that the Church can stand strongly for what is right and model patience and community at the same time. I recommend their statement to you.
As Human Rights Campaign Religion Council member Rev. Susan Russell of Integrity has written, "It is long past time to abandon the fiction that the LGBT faithful demand the exclusion of the theological minority in the Episcopal Church who consider our lives, relationships and vocations unacceptable in the eyes of God. It is not and has never been true that the LGBT leadership in this church have ever made a criteria for our inclusion being agreed with."
Bravo, Harry! [Read it all here]
2 comments:
Mr. Knox said, "The bishops have responded to arrogance and spiritual violence with a reasoned and loving statement of belief..."
From a conservative's perspective, I would say that he has it upside down: the American HoB responded to a "reasoned and loving statement of belief" from the Primates with "arrogance and spiritual violence."
The Primates have, of course, no legal authority in the Episcopal Church. At the same time, each of the Primates, and each of the Churches they represent (most of which -- if not all -- do have synodical bodies as part of their governance), has authority within his own area to make decisions. If they decide for reasons that are sufficient for themselves that they do not recognize the Episcopal Church as a Christian body in good spiritual health, there is nothing that the Episcopal Church can do about it. And if Abp Williams decides that ECUSA has broken the bonds of affection -- and, more importantly, of a common faith -- then ECUSA will be outside the Anglican Communion.
If ECUSA does not think that the decisions of the Primates are worth considering, then it should not expect its own decisions to be binding on the whole Communion.
And why would being outside of the Anglican Communion be a bad thing? Especially given the lack of good faith and the arrogance show by the primates?
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