Monday, July 13, 2015

That's it, blame the Americans!

The Rt Rev Pierre Whalon, explains what caused the uproar in the Anglican Communion over those darn Americans at General Convention "redefining marriage" (not). He begins,
Why is The Episcopal Church singled out, however? Our church is in the same position as the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Church of Ireland, the Church of Wales, the Church of Canada, the Church of Australia, the Church of Southern Africa, the Church of Brazil, the Church of Mexico, and the Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia. Not to mention the Church of England itself. Each of these churches of the Anglican Communion is trying to discern a way forward that includes gay and lesbian people as full members of the Church, as their secular governments have legitimized same-sex marriage. If that is straining the bonds of our Communion, it is not purely an American issue, by any means. 
When I lived in the UK, I learned that Americans are to Blame for Everything.  Even though Canada did it first.  ;-)

Following a good description of what actually happened at Convention, Whalon concludes,

The Anglican Communion has an opportunity to develop the doctrine of marriage. Develop, not deny or adulterate. Will we seize it? Or will our differences be simply more fodder for power grabs through schism, doctrine degraded into slogans? We need to beg for the Spirit’s guidance, for we can get it wrong, as well. The great challenge before us all, around the world, is to reflect deeply on the Holy Scriptures, our histories, the achievements and errors of our ancestors, and the experience of the present, so as not to deny the traditional doctrine of marriage, but rather to deepen it. To paraphrase the challenging words of the Collect for Richard Hooker, in this day of bitter controversy, we can admit no compromise for the sake of a false peace. We must strain forward toward a comprehension for the sake of truth. And as the Episcopal bishops affirmed, we can only accomplish this together.

2 comments:

Brother David said...

I think that you well know that the Canadians can’t very well think for themselves and in spite of doing it first, were obviously goaded into doing it by the United Statesonians! :D

The bishop wrote a good article! The link to having gotten things wrong in the past is also a good article.

PseudoPiskie said...

I love "...fodder for power grabs through schism," which is exactly what Iker, et al did. Nothing like naming it.