Episcopal bishops gather today in New Orleans to consider their response to leaders of the parent church who want them to back down from their commitment to gays and lesbians.
One North Carolina bishop will bring a clear message: Don’t do it.
Bishop Michael B. Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina has been listening to members of his diocese, many of whom say he should not bow to demands from the Anglican Communion that the American church stop ordaining openly gay bishops and blessing same-sex unions.
As one Episcopalian put it at a congregational meeting in Raleigh earlier this week, “We don’t dictate to them how they should behave, they shouldn’t dictate to us how we should behave.”
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
– Philippians 2:3-4 (New International Version)
Exactly William! Which is why +Curry is not looking to his own interests, but the interests of the oppressed minority. Bravo, +Curry!
Oh boy, more victimization talk … it works well for you Brian ….
I lived in Durham for 14 years and regret to say that the News and Observer reporter rarely got things right. Bishop Curry was elected as an orthodox bishop. He comes from an Anglican Catholic heritage in Baltimore.
Tom Rigjtmyer in Asheville, NC
Tom Rightmyer (#4): No, I think they got it right. . .at least in terms of the sympathies of Bishop Curry. He may have some Anglo-Catholic sensibilities but he is not an “orthodox bishop” when it comes to sexuality.
These days what a bishop is “elected as” often does not correspond with how he behaves after the mitre is placed on his head.
PS: If you need other examples I have them (can you say “Florida”?)
“[Bp. Curry] has been listening to members of his diocese, many of whom say he should not bow to demands from the Anglican Communion”
Yes, that is who he listens to.
Ditto to Iranaeus’s comment. When a bishop is a politician first, then it is essential for you to take a straw poll before deciding where you stand. Nor, of course, would you want to misrepresent your lobbyists’ interests. Call it prophetic action by polling.
I hear that people thought Curry was an evangelical when he was elected. This article reflects his real stand, though. You have to hand it to him — no weasel words, no attempt to be ambiguous. He thinks it’s a justice issue, and he allows gay blessings, and he won’t back down.
“Be in submission one to the other.” Say what? Not the American way.
Far better to have an honest, forthright “No” than a fudged, disingenuous “Yes”. The only two honest outcomes are true repentance or a split.
What a pitiful bit of reporting–totally slanted to the gay cause. No balance whatsoever. And woo-hoo, don’t we get all excited when we can get 100 Episcopalians together.
The other thing is that Curry will not hold back one bit. He will speak often and boldly as he did in Columbus. He may shock Rowan, since he doesn’t observe the parliamentary nicety of speaking to the Chair. He turns and faces his audience and works it well.
Bill Matz, I agree with you. The determination of many TEC bishops to prolong the crisis is reinforced by the success of this “listening” strategy in the past. The longer they can keep people focused on the agenda of personal license as civil rights, the more ground they hope to gain. The only way to counter this is by speaking plainly. The Christian Gospel is counter to American individualism and liberalism and TEC is at the forefront of materialism, nihilism and the idolatry of self.
Highly risible, #2. And quite unintentionally ironic.
Especially to this theological conservative in the Diocese of North Carolina, a member of a maligned – if not exactly oppressed – minority.
(Of course, that matter of oppression is an open question to those qualified persons in this diocese denied the ordination process precisely because of their conservative stance on The Issue.)