Despite their assertions to the contrary, this is clearly a group comprised of the primary leadership of the Forum. To attempt to claim the Forum is not responsible for these actions is disingenuous at best.
It is also clearly not a group representative of a large portion of the diocese. It is representative of a very narrow slice of what is a small group in a handful of parishes. They have nothing like the broad, concerned constituency they proclaim.
Most troubling is the assertion that they have released their names voluntarily, as a courtesy, to avoid the scandal of secrecy. That is precisely what these actions represent.
They meant it for evil, God means it for good. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
Of the 14 complainants, how many have personal connections or family connectons to a South Carolina law firm?
Good question, Jill! I don’t know. I posted this over at SFIF.
I’m shocked, utterly [i]shocked[/i] that revisionists lied up until the point where they were forced by law to be honest.
Big gratz on Diocese of Lower South Carolina to put this on its website so clearly, forthrightly and unemotionally. It’s all grist for the mill that helps the ‘muddled middle’ in other parts of the world (and no doubt Lower South Carolina as well) to see the character of the people involved if they stumble across it, or are pointed towards it.
People do learn, at least a bit, from other institutions decisions. +++Rowan Williams’ recent statement that the decision to ordain women really requires women to be bishops as well helps clarify the issue for people in other contexts being presented with a push to ordain women as an act of charity to allow both sides to co-exist: it shows that such a move will then be argued (a bit later) as the [i]institution[/i] having declared support for women’s ordination and opposition as the incongruous position with institutional policy. It helps people see what the reality is behind the spin of those pushing for the first step of the change they want.
Similarly here, other people will be able to see what these epistemically humble, courageous, tolerant, searchers for the truth are really like when they have the shadows to lurk in, and a chance to use institutional structures to attack the doctrine, practice and will of the overwhelming majority of the Diocese in which they are resident.
[i]This goes to the heart of the essential sickness of The Episcopal Church in these days[/i]
Yes it does. And it starts right at the top with the PB and continues on down through the body via the bishops who have taken the mark of the beast, and then on to priests and deacons who [like dead fish], “go with the flow” [h/t to Sarah Palin].
They all need to be prayed for, because on judgement day we must fear that it will not go well for them unless they repent and forsake their ways.
#2, it should be quite easy to follow the money trail as events unfold. As I’ve observed many times, the lawyers are the only ones who stand to gain anything from this.