Conservative Episcopalians Split Off

[dsdrane]

Hi, Everyone.

I wanted to share an excellent post (http://www.queerty.com/what-do-you-do-when-your-church-schisms-over-who-you-are-20081204/) on a gay news website many of you may know: QUEERTY.

Interestingly (and I guess not surprisingly), the comment section was soon awash in the theist-atheist tug-of-war. Yours truly's comment is no. 47.:cool:

[BenL]

Unlike the blogger on Queerty, I don't feel guilty about being gay and being an Episcopalian. I do feel sad about two things: that all these mostly well-meaning people feel that they have to leave the Episcopal Church USA and that worldwide so many Anglicans would invalidate my participation in my full identity as a gay christian.

I get wonderful acceptance in my own parish, although my diocese and bishop would rather observe "don't ask, don't tell" than to hear my witness among the diversity of church members. So, I appreciate the Episcopal Church's holding the line, as the blogger noted, but I regret the schism it has caused. I continue to believe that the kingdom preached by Jesus is so much more welcoming and diverse than any of us can imagine.

[Daniel]

But when I read the this new in the NYTimes a day ago, the phrase that came to mind was...

"Let them go, let them go, let them go!- to the tune of Let it Snow. (yes....dear reader...you would have to live in this mind of mine to understand)

It's unfortunate- yes- that this has happened. But the choice is theirs, not ours. You can't make people have compassion or love one other. And conservatives have peculiar way of saying one thing and doing the opposite ie 'love the sinner and hate the sin'. There 'love' is not love at all, but something else entirely. It is based on fear, plain and simple.

What does this tell me? That beliefs matter. And concervative belief is a thing apart. It is what the word means: conservative. Not giving liberally. Holding on to the status quo. Not letting go. Tradition trumping everything before it.

Fear of the Other. That's what it is. And I have to ask, is wrong with pointing this out? May not be polite, but there you have it. No one likes to be impolite. But in this day and age when rights are being taken away from a minority because of relgion, it's time to call a spade for what it is.

Our Constituion protects our right to believe in space aliens. However, what it doesn't protect is the legislation of laws base on that belief or any other belief.

Didn't Jesus say that he came to bring a sword?

I have always thought of this saying as having to do- not with literal weapons- but as referring to a quality of discrimination that sees everything for what it is.

I hope was can see everything for what it is in this situation.

The opposition has made their choice, and will have to live with it, for good or ill. I think ill, for true discrimination leads one towards actions which brings disparate parties together. And in this case, that hasn't- and isn't going- to happen.

I like your post on the the link Dsdrane. I agree. We stay and fight. Fight like hell, or becuase of hell, or in spite of hell. However one wants to see it. This is not the time to be complacent and give up!

And btw: Jonathan and I were a few steps in front of you on that magnificent day years ago in NYC.

We were couple number 53.

Small world.