Kirkepiscatoid

Oh, I know I shouldn't have been peeking over the fence at the right wing Anglican blogs today, now I'm wound up.

For starters: I resent them co-opting the word "Orthodox". The Episcopal church is a liturgical church, steeped in Anglo-Catholic tradition. In that sense, it is "orthodox". Having fundie overtones does not make you "Orthodox." Right-wing Anglicanism is probably a more "Johnine" Christianity in that all the pieces of the picture must "fit", there must be fulfillment of OT prophecy in the various acts of the life of Christ, etc. For a good description of "Johnine" vs. "Synoptic" Christianity, see Nigel's great post on the topic.

My next grouse: What is it about homosexuality and women in positions of power that have these folks so wound up, compared to acts that we all have some consensus as constituting "sin"? What is it about these folks that, although literal interpretation of the Scriptures has never been a required belief in Anglicanism, even discouraged to some extent, that they insist on literal interpretation of some aspects of the Bible? These aren't "Anglicans,", they're Baptists with incense and shiny priest clothes.

Let's play a game here. Let's just, for argument's sake, say to one of these hypothetical right wingers, "Ok, you win. Women priests and homosexuals are sinful. Forget my usual arguments about how I wear cotton-poly blend and that is also forbidden in the Bible, or how I eat shrimp, or whatever. Let's just go to the top 10 list and see how many sins I have on the top 10.

"I've worshipped the idols of money and self-love on certain occasions. I've placed these things before God at times. I have definitely taken the Lord's name in vain, often on the golf course. I have blown off the Sabbath and worked on the Sabbath. I've argued with my parents, called them names, disrespected them. I've stolen, in an indirect way. I've lied. I've coveted and been jealous of all sorts of things. That's 8 out of 10 right there. I never know what quite to do with adultery (does being single and sleeping with a married person count?) and although I've never directly killed anyone, I know in my heart there are acts, or lack of doing an act I should have, that eventually indirectly contributed to someone's death. So I'll give myself 1/2 point each.

"That gives me a 9 out of 10 on the Sinner Scale. I am definitely a sinner. The worst kind. That's without even having to worry about the things you are most worried about. Yet you would give me communion if I came to the rail, no questions asked. But if some person you know to be gay with a score less than mine came up, no way. Or if a woman handed YOU the host, no way. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!!!!"

I'm just tired of the "Animal Farm" definition of sin. "All sins are equally bad, but some are equally worse than others." Not to mention that one person's idea of "sin" is not another person's idea of "sin." Some of what they are claiming as a heinous, grievous form of sin doesn't even trip my "evil-o-meter". Nor did it make the top 10 list nor did Christ utter a peep about it in written form.

Of course, they will just smirk and say Satan is dwelling within my thoughts. Perhaps that should be turned around. Satan (however you choose to view Satan, as a single entity or as a corporation) loves dissension. Thrives on it, in fact. Perhaps it is not my thoughts or actions that are evil but it is the arguing and dissension of this church brouhaha where the seat of evil resides. Perhaps people should tend to their own houses and stop squatting on everyone else's doorstep. If the way we handle this in TEC makes you uncomfortable, leave. But stop trying to hit the rest of us on the head with your hammer, stop trying to steal the church's stuff, and stop raiding existing dioceses and demanding your own primates while all the time laying claim to property that belongs to a church hierarchy that already has a primate.