Kirkepiscatoid

Normally, I'm going to refrain from church politics on this blog, but I just had to air my feelings on the recent decision of two Va. congregations voting to leave the ECUSA. From the day that our new Presiding Bishop took office, I started my mental countdown on how long it would take before someone actively voted to seek alternative leadership and leave the ECUSA. I am sorry to see them go, but am not surprised. I'm sure the folks who did not want to leave the ECUSA had already voted with their feet and departed those congregations long ago for ones with a viewpoint more in line with the ECUSA's stance on "the gay issue".

I simply do not understand why religious conservatives are so obsessed with the portions of the Bible that speak to homosexuality when it didn't even make the top 10 list given to Moses (but coveting your neighbor's donkey DID) nor even seemed to be of interest to Christ, since the Gospels have no report of Christ's opinion on the subject. Yet I'm sure these conservative members ignore the parts of Leviticus that say to not wear clothes made of two different fibers (Verily, cotton-poly blend is also an abomination!)....to this I say....*sigh*...

It will be interesting to see how the ownership of the "stuff" will be handled. I'm sure these members will feel the church property is "theirs" and the ECUSA will also say it is "theirs". The news coverage of this is so irritating b/c it reduces Episcopal thought in the eyes of the lay public to "All those Episcopalians do is fuss and holler and squabble about gays." It detracts terribly from the positive aspects of my church. I am thinking about how one of the wonderful things about Trinity in Kirksville is that we are an Oasis congregation (for you non-Episcopalians, it means that we are very gay-welcoming). We just don't think of gays in our congregation as "our gay members," they are simply "our members" and contribute to the health and well-being of our congregation same as all the straight ones. It's just simply a non-issue at Trinity.

I must admit I feel much like the anonymous "Donnie" whose response on AmericaBlog was certainly in line with my opinion....he said:

"Therefore with the angels and archangels, and all the Company of Heaven, we pray in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit that the door doesn’t bang you on the ass on your way out."