Hat tip to a fellow Street Prophet, who wrote about this earlier today.
A few days ago, I was pleased to report that the Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts had given permission for clergy in his diocese to perform same-sex weddings. This was great news, albeit limited in scope, as it only applies to part of one state (The Diocese of Massachusetts is a slight misnomer, as it encompasses the eastern half of the state. The Diocese of Western Massachusetts is more conservative).
Today, I got another piece of good news, one I had been eagerly awaiting.
The article linked above begins,
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued a statement expressing concern about the pending Ugandan legislation that would introduce the death penalty for people who violate portions of that country's anti-homosexuality laws.
The Presiding Bishop is the head of the Episcopal Church in the United States which is part of the wider Anglican Communion.
In the statement, Jefferts Schori emphasizes the importance of "safeguarding... human rights everywhere," declaring that "the public scapegoating of any category of persons, in any context, is anathema."
She praises the State Department for voicing opposition to the bill (though I can't find a cite for that), adding,
We urge the United States government to grant adequate access to the U.S. asylum system for those fleeing persecution on the basis of homosexuality or gender identity.
She also observes that civil rights legislation has historically influenced public opinion and behavior for the better.
The Bishop cites her church's imperfect record on this issue, in an oblique reference to recent conflict and division within it that also neatly demonstrates which side of the conflict she falls on:
We note that much of the current climate of fear, rejection, and antagonism toward gay and lesbian persons in African nations has been stirred by members and former members of our own Church.
And then she places this behavior in a broader context:
We note further that attempts to export the culture wars of North America to another context represent the very worst of colonial behavior. We deeply lament this reality, and repent of any way in which we have participated in this sin.
The use of the word "colonial" is rather pointed, in light of Anglican history and its provenance as part of the British Empire; it is a topic being broadly discussed throughout the Anglican Communion today. Here are a few interesting links I found on the subject (not a comprehensive list by any means!):
Perhaps most importantly, Jefferts Schori expresses unequivocally and eloquently that the Ugandan bill is fundamentally incompatible with the faith of the church she leads:
We call on all Episcopalians to seek their own conversion toward an ability to see the image of God in the face of every neighbor, of whatever race, gender, sexual orientation, theological position, or creed. God has created us in myriad diversity, and no one sort or condition of human being can fully reflect the divine. Only the whole human race begins to be an adequate mirror of the divine.
As a sort-of-Episcopalian, I'm proud of this statement.