At yesterday’s committee meeting, it was clear that the hurdle for any resolution will be the House of Bishops. All resolutions from our committee go to their house first, and in this instance, they are the more conservative body. I think it would be hard to have a resolution asking for rites of “marriage” at this time. The House of Bishops is supposed to discuss a resolution that allows the “widest latitude” (or some such language) for pastoral response in states that have legalized same sex marriage. That’s sort of how things work. We can’t have a resolution that says they can bless same-sex marriages. Authorizing marriages flat out is too shocking to too many. We must have resolutions that allow for bishops to respond to their contexts as they see fit as we move toward a more just policy. That is resolution B012. I am very curious how their deliberation will go.
“We must have resolutions that allow for bishops to respond to their contexts as they see fit as we move toward a more just policy.”
This strikes me as a distinction without a difference.
“The House of Bishops is supposed to discuss a resolution that allows the “widest latitude†(or some such language) for pastoral response in states that have legalized same sex marriage.” i.e., the only choice is between doing it openly and honestly, or doing it in the closet! Come on folks! Come out of the closet! Embrace your “new theology” with pride! OWN IT – with integrity!
In my youth, it was said that the laity were more theologically traditional. Either that was a false perception, or a very interesting shift has occurred over the past 40 years.
#3
Just my opinion, but I don’t believe this to be about gay marriage, or theological tradition; it’s about power. The house of deputies is challenging the house of bishops to man up (so to speak) and quit living in fear of the consequences of gay ordination, marriage and all the doors that it will open and/or shut. The HoD likely feels that too much power is centralized in the HoB, and is hoping for enough sympathetic bishops who are, in the words of one “progressive” bishop, ready to accept the consequences, and give them power over this one, big, danged issue. After that, they can all go back to pretending that Episcopal authority means anything to them. But if the bishops abdicate their power, the gay abdicates win the day, and the communion fails, it will rest on their shoulders. It’s driving some of them back toward center, others probably even further toward the edge.
Rather, it should have read, the gay advocates win the day…oops.
Words: From my perspective, it’s not that the laity are any less traditional, but that those who desire to be and become delegates to the GC are less traditional. The HOB certainly doesn’t qualify as traditional except by comparison the the HOD.