It May Be Illegal Now

But the Episcopal Church is already gearing up to bless these kinds of unions. Maybe not right away, but soon. After all, it's a justice issue!

Acting According To Nature

"But let me introduce to you a new friend of mine, the Hungry Tiger."

"Oh! Are you hungry ?' she asked, turning to the other beast, who was just then yawning so widely that he displayed two rows of terrible teeth and
a mouth big enough to startle anyone.

"Dreadfully hungry," answered the Tiger, snapping his jaws together with a fierce click.

"Then why don't you eat something?" she asked.

"It's no use," said the Tiger sadly. "I've tried that, but I always get hungry again."

"Why, it is the same with me," said Dorothy. "Yet I keep on eating."

"But you eat harmless things, so it doesn't matter," replied the Tiger. " For my part, I'm a savage beast, and have an appetite for all sorts of poor
little living creatures, from a chipmonk to fat babies,

"How dreadful!" said Dorothy.

"Isn't it, though?" returned the Hungry Tiger, licking his lips with his long red tongue. " Fat babies! Don't they sound delicious? But I've
never eaten any, because my conscience tells me it is wrong. If I had no conscience I would probably
eat the babies and then get hungry again, which would mean that I had sacrificed the poor babies
for nothing. No; hungry I was born, and hungry I shall die. But I'll not have any cruel deeds on my
conscience to be sorry for."

"I think you are a very good tiger," said Dorothy, patting the huge head of the beast.

"In that you are mistaken," was the reply. "I am a good beast, perhaps, but a disgracefully bad
tiger. For it is the nature of tigers to be cruel and ferocious, and in refusing to eat harmless living
creatures I am acting as no good tiger has ever before acted. That is why I left the forest and joined
my friend the Cowardly Lion."

From "Ozma of Oz" by L Frank Baum

xxxxx

Doing it on the Downlow

The rumour is that the bishop of San Diego has authorized same sex blessings, but wants them to be done quietly and discretely.

I do not know if that is true. If it is, I would not be surprised and if it isn't I would be. Which is the point of this post. Too much of our church's policy and discipline has been handled in quiet. Too much of our theology has been two-faced. When Bishop J Jon Bruno boldly proclaims that same sex marriage does not happen in his diocese and at the same time pictures are posted from such a coupling, then things have clearly gone too far.

The goal of most bishops in the Episcopal Church is apparently to maintain plausible deniability as to what is going on while at the same time allowing priests to regularly violate the canons (try googling 'open communion' and 'episcopal church'). I'm all for scandal avoidance. The Episcopal treasurer embezzlement scandal was mortifying. The point is that while hypocrisy is comfortable in the short term, in the long term it bites you on the arse.

Once a bishop, or anyone, acquires a reputation for double dealing, trimming, sophistry or pharisaism then his authority as a bishop is shot. Bishops have no tools to compel obedience other than those available to any employer. Whether they want to acknowledge it or not, part of the underlying problem with the Episcopal Church has been the almost universal loss of credibility by our hierarchy. And that is not a new thing, it has been coming on ever since the Bishops took the safe choice in dealing with Bishop Pike.

The big question is whether they as a group possess the will to regain credibility. I truly wish I could believe that they do.



Disclaimer: I graduated from the same college (University of the South) as Bishop and Mrs Mathes. I knew them both well. We were in the same graduating class (1982). I am from the same town as Mrs. Mathes.

Politician Does the Right Thing

The British Parliament recently emasculated the right of a prisoner to habeas corpus in the name of fighting terrorism. One Conservative MP, who is shadow Minister of Justice, is resigning so that he can run for his seat on the issue of the new law. David Davis appears to be a man of principle. Such men are lacking in every country. We need more of them.