This is the kind of issue that seeps in around the edges. It showed up as an afterthought in diarist essexgreen’s tip-jar comment to a diary posted today, Bush 41 family church wants to imprison gays?, was covered on a more direct basis in this comment to that diary by Halcyon and actually hit my local morning TV newscast today.
More below.
One fairly balanced treatment of the story is here,which sums up the dispute directly in this way:
Two of the most prominent and largest Episcopal parishes in Virginia voted overwhelmingly Sunday to leave The Episcopal Church and join fellow Anglican conservatives forming a rival denomination in the U.S.
Truro Church in Fairfax and The Falls Church in Falls Church plan to place themselves under the leadership of Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who has called the growing acceptance of gay relationships a "satanic attack" on the church.
This thing can get real complicated and real messy:
Virginia Bishop Peter Lee, a centrist, had won praise even from his critics for his extensive outreach to all sides in the conflict. He said Sunday that the votes "had compromised these discussions and have created Nigerian congregations occupying Episcopal churches."
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A lengthy and expensive legal fight could erupt over the Truro and Falls Church properties, which are worth millions of dollars.
"We fully intend to assert the church's canonical and legal rights over these properties," Lee said in a news release, calling it a "sad day for the church." Losing all the conservative churches could cost the Virginia diocese around 10 percent of its 90,000 members.
The Episcopal Church, the U.S. wing of the global Anglican Communion, has been under pressure from traditionalists at home and abroad since the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
Under Anglican tradition, Akinola's move into Episcopal territory amounts to an invasion, since archbishops agree not to start churches outside the borders of their own region.
Pause for a moment on a couple of words here: "occupation" and "invasion." And why the heck is Nigeria involved here? This is Fairfax county, which may be said to be the most liberal, international and cosmopolitan area in Virginia and a big reason there’s this guy Webb with "Senator" in front of his name.
So why do we have Nigerian throwbacks to the 18th Century? Maybe because that’s what the well-moneyed conservatives are engineering:
When the General Convention of the Episcopal Church meets next month in Columbus, Ohio, a small network of theologically conservative organizations will be on hand to warn deputies that they must repent of their liberal attitudes on homosexuality or face serious consequences. The groups represent a small minority of church members, but relationships with wealthy American donors and powerful African bishops have made them key players in the fight for the future of the Anglican Communion.
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When the General Convention of the Episcopal Church meets in Columbus next month it will do so in a politically charged atmosphere, created in some measure by conservative organizations supported by a small number of wealthy donors.
Names like the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Adolph Coors Foundation, the John M. Olin Foundation, the Smith-Richardson Trust, the Scaife Family Foundations, all connected to entities and individuals like the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, the Hoover Institute and William Bennett flow in and out of this story. More information on the global nature of this scheme is here.
I’m not going to pretend to know what’s going on here in any depth and I am indebted to Halcyon and essexgreen for tipping me off so that the brief item this morning on the news had some context. This story is so deep, disturbing and complex, I wish we had an Episcopal equivalent of joseph rainmound, whose outstanding diaries on the recent leadership crisis at Gallaudet University were real-time insights into a successful student revolt against an oppressive and ignorant administration.
Much is made about the conflicts within Islam but there are some just as potent in Christianity. The only difference is, the radical Islaamists have IEDs and the radical Christians have the 82nd Airborne—for now, at least.
Read through this stuff. It gets scary. For a "sanity break" I present to you, in its entirety, George Washington's letter to the Hebrew congregation of Newport:
Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport
George Washington
August, 1790
Gentlemen:
While I received with much satisfaction your address replete with expressions of esteem, I rejoice in the opportunity of assuring you that I shall always retain grateful remembrance of the cordial welcome I experienced on my visit to Newport from all classes of citizens.
The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security.
If we have wisdom to make the best use of the advantages with which we are now favored, we cannot fail, under the just administration of a good government, to become a great and happy people.
The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy—a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.
It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
It would be inconsistent with the frankness of my character not to avow that I am pleased with your favorable opinion of my administration and fervent wishes for my felicity.
May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants—while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.
May the father of all mercies scatter light, and not darkness, upon our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in His own due time and way everlastingly happy.
I have no problem with religious sects engaging in their own democracy or debate, but the great danger is that these debates taint our system of government and produce intolerance and ignorance, which in turn produce devastatingly bad public policy. Everything we’ve seen since 1994 simply bolsters my opinion that the "wall of separation between church and state" must be as high as possible, with few and narrow doors.