Rebecca Snow (Alaska) said that adopting D025 doesn’t compel action by anyone in the Anglican Communion. “It does not require anyone to do anything except to acknowledge the reality on the ground and to accept our polity, which we are so proud of, and the fact that we are governed by our Constitution and Canons and a discernment process that allows us to be open to God’s calling of all baptized persons.”
Several speakers who urged defeat of D025 feared what it would do to conservative voices within the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Ralph Stanwise (Quincy) said, “If we overturn the B033 moratorium we will in effect be urging many remaining conservatives and moderates among us and in our home dioceses, especially our most fragile ones, to search for the exit signs.”
[blockquote] The Rev. Ralph Stanwise (Quincy) said, “If we overturn the B033 moratorium we will in effect be urging many remaining conservatives and moderates among us and in our home dioceses, especially our most fragile ones, to search for the exit signs.”[/blockquote]
But why should they care? It’s a natural consequence of what they did. They won and the orthodox leaving is a fruit of that victory. As Bishop Robinson said: “there are a lot of Episcopalians who say they are embarrassed when people say you are the ‘gay’ church.†To this, Episcopalians should say, “You bet we are.” If so, and they have voted that way, then they should own it with pride.
[blockquote]”It does not require anyone to do anything except to acknowledge the reality on the ground and to accept our polity, which we are so proud of, and the fact that we are governed by our Constitution and Canons and a discernment process that allows us to be open to God’s calling of all baptized persons.”[/blockquote]
That is a truly asinine statement. We want to be open to discernment, but only discernment within our little group in our little denomination. Anyone’s opinion on the discernment from elsewhere in the Communion is not relevant nor wanted.
So…basically…we are not opening such things up to full discernment.