A good op-ed about the likely break-up of the Anglican Communion, ostensibly over the issue of homosexuality, but more accurately about the North Americans' refusal to toe the "duty" line with their former rulers, the British.
I am, personally, incredibly weary of this debate, and it's affecting my feelings about the church a lot. Why do any of us need this? We're called upon to love one another, no matter what our differences. It's really very simple. If the church gets in the way of that, then I want no part of it, and I can't accept a hierarchical structure that puts a greater emphasis on unity than on love.
My understanding of the Anglican Communion is that the Archbishop of Canterbury has never been an "Anglican Pope" and that each national church has a great deal of autonomy. I could understand being dropped from the Anglican Communion if we were denying, say, the tenets of the Nicene Creed (and I don't consider defining "virgin" in the ancient sense of, "a young woman preparing for marriage" to be a denial of the Creed.) The consecration of Gene Robinson does not violate such tenets of faith so far as I'm concerned. But for me, the breakup of the Communion over this issue is a cause for sorrow, not relief.
Of those who opposed Bp. Robinson's consecration, I deeply respect and apprciate the views of Bp. Edward Little of Northern Indiana. I've contrasted his approach to the controversy with that of Bp. Peter Beckwith of Springfield, IL: http://ontheslowtrain.blogspot.com/2007/08/two-conservative-bishops.html
If all the bishops approached the issue with Edward Little's compassion, there would be no schism.
Posted by: Steve | September 25, 2007 at 11:05 PM
Steve, thanks for this comment. Interestingly, Bishop Little was in the same "small group" of bishops as Bishop Gene Robinson, at Gene's first H of B meeting in 2003, and they became friends even though they were coming from quite different perspectives at that point; I know Gene has a lot of respect and affection for Little.
I feel sorrow too, but it has to do with the inevitable severing or weakening of relationships that will result, especially where we have worked together with other members of the Communion on common projects, and a general sorrow about people who couldn't find a way through. What really bothers me is that I feel there has been a failure of leadership. I think most lay Anglicans DO have the compassion of which you speak, but too many of the bishops have either been too weak (Williams) to show true leadership, or too insistent on their own "rightness" to listen to each other and find a way through together. I agree with you that this compassion has been sorely needed, and we simply haven't had it. On the other hand, we are really looking at two very very different interpretations of Christianity, and it's extremely difficult to hold them together.
Posted by: beth | September 26, 2007 at 08:38 AM
Beth, I share your outlook, that it's all very simple.
Posted by: the sylph | September 27, 2007 at 12:28 PM
Some of my best friends are Quakers who have walked the walk for these very reasons.
Posted by: Dick | September 27, 2007 at 01:51 PM
Some of my best friends are Quakers who have walked the walk for these very reasons.
Posted by: Dick | September 27, 2007 at 01:51 PM
Beth: my sentiments exactly which is why I never go to church.
Posted by: Anna | September 27, 2007 at 03:03 PM
Those are the very reasons I no longer seek to find answers in any organized religion. To me none of them answer any of the important questions. You don't need any organization to express and share love, and I've found that nearly every organization that I've looked into or been a part of always resorts to arguing points which really shouldn't have any need to be argued. I try to always go back to the beginning of human consciousness and try imagine what I would see, before any of all our sophisticated meanderings complicated such simple thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I wonder if you can find more truth and understanding in the way a pet dog loves you than in all the architecture of our religions. The most sublime and powerful moments in my life have always been out in the natural world or with people sharing simple moments me.
Posted by: Miguel | September 28, 2007 at 10:13 AM
I agree, Miguel, it's been that way for me too. (It's very good to see you here!) Thank you, Anna, Dick, and Sylph, for your comments too. Nature is still the great restorer for me; it's where I find the peace that eludes me in the world of human beings.
Posted by: beth | September 28, 2007 at 03:51 PM
It *did* happen in 1776! That was my first argument to the Connecticut diocesan Bishop. "Didn't we fight a revolutionary war to be rid of the arrogance of foreign hierachies?!" Way beyond that, yes, we are called to love one another. I'm waiting to hear any evidence of that quintessentially christian way of being from the [I still don't know what to call them].
Scott
Posted by: Scott Hankins | October 01, 2007 at 08:28 PM