The clergy and lay delegates of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut voted Saturday to ask the bishop to allow same-sex weddings, as the state Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage in the state becomes official today.
The resolution at the annual diocesan convention passed 174-132, but is not binding on Bishop Andrew D. Smith, who said he is studying the issue.
According to the resolution, the convention “implores the bishop to allow priests in this diocese to exercise pastoral wisdom and care and follow the lead of their consciences in whether or not to participate in marriage ceremonies of same-sex couples.”
As many as 132 people opposed this. What hope is there that their rights will be respected in their parishes? How long will it be before “what is optional becomes mandatory?” Will there need to be two BCPs, one for the ayes and one for the nays? Will a civil rights violation be charged on priests who don’t go along with this since gay marriage is a right. Alas, more unhappiness I fear.
What I find astounding is that the decisions of the secular state are considered determinative on sacramental matters.
As I saw it put somewhere, the US Episcopal Church was previously the church of respectable folk. In 1968, they were presented with a choice between orthodoxy and respectability. True to their history, they chose respectability and continue to do so.
At the risk of offending some people on this board I am greatly encouraged by this development. I hope the proposal is adopted with all possible speed. Why?
Because this, along with similar actions in Canada, will further define the split between the Christian wing of the Anglican Communion and the Unitarian wing. It will alert the rest of the communion that TEC has no intention of showing the slightest respect for their concerns. And it will may well provoke the long delayed definitive breach in the communion and force the ABC to get off the fence, one way or the other. On a more local level it might help to disabuse those who are still wandering around the ruins of TEC thinking things really will get better of their naivete.
One can only hope. However I must confess that I think most of those still in TEC are beyond hope. They either agree with what’s going on or are so far removed from reality that nothing will move them to leave.
Under the mercy,
[url=http://ad-orientem.blogspot.com/]John[/url]
An [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj4pUphDitA]Orthodox [/url] Christian
Canons? We don’t need no stinkin’ Canons. Canons are what the right-wing homophobic hate-mongers need to rule them. We are elightened loving individuals who have moved beyond the need for law to govern our lives. We now live by spirit, not law. We now love rather than hate. We even love the hate-filled low-life scum that oppose our spirit based changes.
(/sarcasm)
Shouldn’t the priests who voted for this and the Bishop who let the vote come to the floor be subjected to Abandonment of Communion because they are conspiring to violate the Canons of the Church and to violate the Book of Common Prayer?
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Look at it this way – – we are one day closer to our Lord’s return. Indeed, some of this nonsense is prophetic fulfillment, if one reads the letters of Peter and takes them at face value.
Ad Orientem, is right. They might as well get on with it.
#3, Ad Orientem:
I like your distinction between Christian and Unitarian wings of the church. I have a feeling that’s a line that could be drawn through any of the mainline denominations.
I understand the abandonment idea but there are any number of well meaning folk who can be misled by this and co-opted by the Agenda. And 132 people were willing to Just Say No.
My fear now is a that a couple brings a lawsuit against a some congregation or a pastor who refuses to marry them and the state takes this thing one step further.
One more example of the Church conforming to society rather than shaping society. How long before these “rights” become mandatory statutes requiring any church that performs marriages to do “gay” ones or be charged with hate crimes?
In other words, how long before it becomes illegal to be Christian?
10, not to much longer I suspect.
#4 Yeah, Phil+, but you they never will be subjected to Abandonment of Communion……unfortunately.
I still wonder how any married man in the Episcopal Church can look his wife in the eye. His church considers her and him to interchangeable parts, completely the equal of Gene Robinson’s concubine. If no other reason than merely respecting one’s spouse (just a shred of respect at that) the normally married should leave now. The Episcopal Church is rapidly making every liturgical action they had into a Black Mass. Robinson made a eucharist the event to divorce his wife, now the service of matrimony (leave “Holy” out of it) is to be corrupted into the formal recognition of shacking up of any two of any thing. At least this week it’s two.
It’s add odd, but maybe necessary, thing that this issue,#13, of, “At least this week it’s two,” is absolutely never addressed by those favoring ssm. I have yet to hear or read a rebuttal of any sort. It seems clear that on this head, the ssm people are most vulnerable and should be more vigorously attacked thereon. I have often wondered what Susan Russell would say if forced to respond. Larry
Changing their teachings to cater to upper-middle-class causes since 1534.
[url=http://aconservativesiteforpeace.info]Blog.[/url]
Our seminaries are filled with “prophets” not priests. The problem starts with that distortion. But truly, more deeply, the way this issue turns everyone — and I mean everyone — it touches spiritually ugly has to be recognized and repented of now. It gets worse everyday. Satan is having a field day.
I am somewhat in a loss as to the reasoning behind why they feel they have to do this via Diocesan convention resolution? Can’t they just, you know, ask?
Same-sex union ceremony = wedding ceremony. No way. Nuff said!!