PRO-ANGLICAN COVENANT ESSAYS: ¨...ultimately unconvincing, the essays are at least interesting...¨ Lionel Deimel

¨Reading material favoring the adoption of the Anglican Covenant is largely a boring and depressing enterprise. The most common “argument” asserts that the Communion is in crisis, and the Covenant offers “the only way forward.” Some proponents assert that little will change if the Covenant is put into effect, which, of course, raises the question of how the Covenant is going to “rescue” the Communion from its “crisis.” Others invoke the need for “unity” as the primary rationale for Covenant adoption, though one has to ask why the unity of The Episcopal Church with the Church of Uganda should be more important than our church’s relationship with, for example, the United Methodist Church.

The Living Church*, which has long been critical of The Episcopal Church and which has adopted a strong Anglo-Catholic orientation in recent years, has been publishing a series of essays in favor of Covenant adoption in its magazine and on its Web site. Whereas I find the case made for the Covenant in these pieces ultimately unconvincing, the essays are at least interesting, offering more compelling arguments than I have seen in many places, particularly the material from Lambeth Palace and from the Church of England...¨ please read it all, HERE

Lionel Deimel’s Farrago
“Essays Favoring the Anglican Covenant from *The Living Church” on my Web site here.

·  Thanks to The Living Church
·  Thanks to Lionel Deimel´s Web Log, sidebar
·  Thanks to Mad Priest, illustration, sidebar

RADICAL HOSPITALITY at St. Bartholomews/NYC: “Seeking Christ in every person who comes through the door.”

St. Bartholomews Episcopal Church/NYC:  ¨What are we for?¨

Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
the Gospel of St. Matthew, 10:40

We are for “the dignity and worth of every person. An open-minded, passionate commitment to truth. The importance of everyone’s own spiritual journey. God’s friends wherever we find them. Seeking Christ in every person who comes through the door. The sacredness of life’s rites of passage. The value of community. The hard work necessary to make sure that all are welcomed. Telling the truth about life’s challenges.¨   HERE

·  Thanks to Bishop Christopher Epting
·  Thanks to That We All May Be One, blog
·  Thanks to Saint Bartholomews, NYC
·  Thanks to My Yahoo

ALWAYS THE ¨PEACE AT ANY PRICE¨ MAKER: Is Rowan Williams off to assure President Robert Mugabe there are no ¨liberal attitudes¨ offered toward homosexuals at The Anglican Communion?

Dr. Rowan Williams plans visit to Zimbabwe

¨Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is planning to visit Zimbabwe in October as part of a wider trip to Africa and hopes to meet with President Robert Mugabe to discuss a brutal dispute over church properties.¨

¨The Anglican Church in Zimbabwe has been in turmoil since 2007 after renegade bishop Nolbert Kunonga, criticizing what he said were liberal attitudes toward homosexuality, tried to remove the Diocese of Harare from the Anglican Communion, the worldwide community of Anglican churches.¨ HERE

Excommunicated Anglican Bishop/Mugabe buddy, Nolbert Kunonga

Among the many brutal disputes:
The illegal seizure by excommunicated Bishop Nolbert Kunonga of the Arthur Shearly Cripps Shrine in Chivhu, Zimbabwe

Anglican pastors evicted illegally by Kunonga’s supporters:
http://relzim.org/news/2299/

The NY Times article on Kunonga deciphered:
http://relzim.org/forum/religion-and-society-blog/1442/

·  Thanks to Three Rivers Episcopal, sidebar
·  Thanks to ENI News
·  Thanks to Trevor Grundy
·  Thanks to Jim Simons
·  Thanks to Solidarity Peace Trust, Zimbabwe
·  Thanks to Owen Sheers, HERE

NEWS RELEASE BY THE NO ANGLICAN COVENANT COALITION: Coalition ¨Disappointed¨ by Background Material for Anglican Covenant Debate

No Anglican Covenant Coalition
Anglicans for Comprehensive Unity
 http://www.noanglicancovenant.org/

AUGUST 31, 2011

STATEMENT BY THE NO ANGLICAN COVENANT COALITION REGARDING COVENANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION PREPARED FOR THE DIOCESE OF OXFORD

The No Anglican Covenant Coalition is disappointed with the two-page introduction to the Anglican Covenant posted recently by the Diocese of Oxford on its website. Introduction to the Anglican Covenant Debate ( http://www.oxford.anglican.org/ ), prepared by Canon John Rees, is intended to inform the debate at the March 2012 Diocesan Synod. The Coalition believes that the paper downplays both the controversy surrounding the Covenant and the risks inherent in its adoption.

The analysis of the Covenant in the Rees document is consistently shallow and superficial. The Covenant is presented as minor tinkering with Anglican Communion governance, yet somehow still vital to the Communion’s survival. Even the observation that conservatives see the disciplinary provisions as too weak, whereas liberals see them as too strong seems designed as a sort of Goldilocks defence of the Covenant’s supposed merits.

The Oxford document is consistent with the general approach to promoting the Anglican Covenant in the Church of England by downplaying its significance while claiming that the survival of the Anglican Communion depends on its adoption. While the Church of England is preoccupied with issues such as women bishops, there is a serious risk that the Anglican Covenant will be adopted without adequate or informed debate about the document and the implications of its centralisation for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. The consistent and erroneous depiction of the Anglican Covenant as largely meaningless and harmless only increases this risk. Comparable tactics were on display a few months ago in the Diocese of Lichfield, where pro-Covenant presenters were given extensive time to sell the Covenant prior to a short debate with alternating pro- and anti-Covenant speakers.

Oxford’s Introduction contains links to background material, but many of the references are official pro-Covenant propaganda from the Anglican Communion Office and the Church of England. Some warnings about the Covenant are found in General Synod debate transcript, however, and the Church Times Guide is properly characterized as offering “strong arguments for and against the Covenant.”

Unlike the background material prepared by the Anglican Church of Canada, Canon Rees references neither the No Anglican Covenant Coalition ( http://www.noanglicancovenant.org/) nor its associated blog( http://www.blog.noanglicancovenant.org/). The Coalition’s website includes all the references cited in Introduction to the Anglican Covenant Debate and more than 150 other articles. Ironically, Canon Rees does not even cite thoughtful pro-Covenant resources, such as the series being published by the U.S. magazine The Living Church (http://www.livingchurch.org/), which has offered a far more coherent defence of the proposed Anglican Covenant than anything seen from either the Church of England or the Anglican Communion Office.

Fortunately, members of the Oxford Diocesan Synod have time to educate themselves in preparation for the forthcoming Covenant debate. Members of the No Anglican Covenant Coalition encourage them to visit our website and search for other materials, both positive and negative, regarding the Anglican Covenant. The decision about the Covenant to be made by the Church of England is too important to be made lightly.

-30-

The No Anglican Covenant Coalition is an international group of Anglicans who oppose the adoption of the proposed Anglican Covenant.

http://www.noanglicancovenant.org/
.
The Revd Jean Mayland (England) +44 07966 921247
Dr Lionel Deimel (USA) +1-412-512-9087
The Revd Malcolm French (Canada) +1-306-550-2277
The Revd Lawrence Kimberley (New Zealand) +64 3 981 7384
The Revd Canon Hugh Magee (Scotland) +44 1334 470446

SANTORUM BLAMES HOMOSEXUALS FOR LACK OF POPULARITY: Compares Gay ¨intimacies¨ to polygamy, incest and destroying the family (no word on impact of nasty Heterosexuals)

¨The former senator doesn’t grasp the concepts of free speech and debate¨

 Withers:  Santorum´s cheese and whine

¨As reported by The Hill, ¨Gay Community on Jihad Against Me¨  Santorum was in South Carolina, looking for votes that aren’t there. He was speaking to a group of 50 and explained why the gay community hates him so.

“So the gay community said, ‘He’s comparing gay sex to incest and polygamy, how dare he do this,’ and they have gone out on a, I would argue, jihad against Rick Santorum since then.”

The use of the third person is precious. Bonus points for that. Everything else is quackery. The former senator doesn’t grasp the concepts of free speech and debate. He made a silly assertion (gay sex equals incest). That was pushed back against. In his world, once he speaks there should be no response. Especially from sodomites.

On a serious note, it reveals much about the dude’s mindset that he would use a term associated with terror (let’s leave alone, for now, how the word has been misinterpreted). He knows the language of the kooky wing of the Republican party.¨ HERE

·  Thanks to James Withers
·  Thanks to 365 Gay, NEWS, sidebar
·  Thanks to The Hill, HERE

The Terrifying Christian Right: ¨The gap between fundamentalist and fascist is narrowing¨

¨...The Christian Right’s assault on America is frightening, and, as someone who grew up in a world of religious fanaticism, my personal experience gives me a sharp sense of where this is heading. In his 2007 book, American Fascists, the Christian Right and the War on America, Chris Hedges describes what America would look like if evangelicals, or dominionists, complete their takeover of the American political system:

“America becomes, in this militant Biblicism, an agent of god, and all political and intellectual opponents of America’s Christian leaders are viewed, quite simply, as agents of Satan. Under Christian dominion, America will be no longer a sinful and fallen nation but one in which the 10 Commandments form the basis of our legal system, creationism and ‘Christian values’ form the basis of our educational system, and the media and government proclaim the Good News to one and all. Labor unions, civil rights laws and public schools will be abolished. Women will be removed from the workforce to stay at home, and all those deemed insufficiently Christian will be denied citizenship. Aside from its proselytizing mandate, the federal government will be reduced to the protection of property rights and ‘homeland security…’ The only legitimate voices in this state will be Christian. All others will be silenced.”

The takeover is well underway. As of 2007 Christian fundamentalists held “a majority of seats in 36 percent of all Republican party state committees, or 18 of 50 states, along with large minorities in remaining states.” Furthermore, “Forty-five senators and 186 members of the House of Representatives earned approval ratings of 80 to 100 percent from the three most influential Christian advocacy groups: the Christian Coalition, Eagle Forum, and Family Resource Council.” And, of course, the Bush administration “diverted billions of dollars of taxpayer money from secular and governmental social service organizations to faith-based organizations, bankrolling Churches and organizations that seek to dismantle American democracy and create a theocratic state.”

Some ominous statistics: “In fiscal year 2003, faith-based organizations received 8.1 percent of the competitive social-service grant budget. In fiscal year 2004, faith-based organizations received $2.005 billion in funding—10.3 percent of federal competitive service grants,” and by the 2005 the total was 11 percent. In addition, “the Bush administration has spent more than $1 billion on chastity programs alone,” and “thirty percent of American schools with sex education programs teach abstinence-only.” Matters have gotten far worse since the Republicans took over the House last November, with savage attacks on Planned Parenting and abortions rights...¨ please read it all, HERE

What Would Dominionists Do With Gays?

¨When Jesus came, he brought the kingdom of God and He expects His kingdom-minded people to take whatever action is needed to push back the long-standing kingdom of Satan and bring the peace and prosperity of His kingdom here on earth. This is what we mean by dominionism...¨ please read it all, HERE

· Thanks to Michael Moore, sidebar
· Thanks to Marc Adler
· Thanks to Warren Throckmorton, sidebar

NO ANGLICAN COVENANT

FEDERAL LAW ¨DEMANDED¨ IN MEXICO: "prevent and punish conduct homophobic antidiversas, anti-progressive and intolerant that generates an environment conducive to hate crimes."

Leija Herrera:  ¨A gay activist in Chilpancingo, the second-largest city of the state of Guerrero, Mexico, has been murdered in what is being called by social organizations, academics, writers, party representatives and activists "an assassination".

Leija Herrera, was the director of del Centro de Estudios y Proyectos para el Desarrollo Humano Inegral (CEPRODEHI, Center for Studies and Human Development Projects Inegral) and had participated in demonstrations, lobbied for civil unions and reported killings, discrimination and attacks against lesbians, gays and transgender people to the State's Attorney General.

His body was discovered Wednesday 4 May in the centre of the city covered in bruises, apparently caused by stones. Authorities suggested he may have been stoned to death.

Local activists have organised a petition to the State Govenor, Angel Aguirre.

It says that there is a "widespread climate of harassment and criminalization of the work of defenders of human rights in Mexico and the cruelty and brutality of the murder presents evidence of a homophobic hate crime."

The petition demands a prompt, independent, comprehensive, effective and impartial investigation into murder, an end to all forms of harassment against LGBT people and respect for international human rights and the work of advocates in Mexico.

The United States of MEXICO:  ¨They requested strongly to the National Council to Prevent Discrimination¨ (CONAPRED)

HATE CRIMES: "are clarified with the rigor and the definition of hate crime homophobic, lesfobia, biphobia and transphobia."

¨...They requested strongly that the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED) "launch in full force a national campaign against violence against LGBTTTI community, it has become urgent that all states have in the their penal codes hate crime law."

The march was attended by representatives of Amnesty International, the National Association of Democratic Lawyers, Agenda LGBT Fundar, Project 21, the Gay and Lesbian Business Association and Mexican ProDiana Association, among other groups...¨ please read it all, HERE

·  Thanks to LGBT Asylum News, sidebar
·  Thanks to Amnesty International
·  Thanks to Mexican ProDiana Association
·  Thanks to Leija Herrera, R.I.P.

ANOTHER GOP BLOCKHEADED LIGHTWEIGHT EXPOSED: “…an individual may occasionally rise to the top in spite of being an uneducated ignoramus”

Richard Dawkins Responds To Republican Rick ¨ignoramous¨ Perry On Evolution

Seems to me that ¨ignorance¨ has been the promoted/prefered standard for thinking ever since the Republican Party and Karl Rove invented a platform of greed, hate and deceptivity for George W. Bush.  Leonardo Ricardo

·  Thanks to Liberaland
·  Thanks to Alan, HERE

CHURCHES SHOULD PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE: ¨...as an institution that is indirectly supported by tax payers, it has no right to discriminate against anyone.¨

¨Tax payers should not in any way be subsidizing private organizations, particularly those who discriminate against others based upon affectional-sexual orientation, any more than we should subsidize any private organization that discriminates against African Americans or Jewish people. Moreover, why should taxpayers subsidize any private organization in the first place?¨ The Reverend Dr. Jerry Maneker, HERE 

·  Thanks to A CHRISTIAN VOICE FOR GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER RIGHTS , sidebar
·  Thanks to The Reverend Dr. Jerry Maneker

NOT SO FAST, EDDIE : ¨Pastor Long’s accusers break silence...¨

¨We've followed the Pastor Eddie Long case since it burst into the headlines and, thankfully, made some finally question the hypocrisy and motivations of anti-gay pastors.¨

¨The way I saw people stand up and applaud this man. [I thought] how dare you.”

Hypocrisy/Nausea behind the pulpit:  Pastor Eddie Long and George W. Bush  HERE 

¨It made many of us question the special relationship between pastors like Eddie Long and politicians. It reminded us how important it is to ensure the separation of church and state because in a theocracy there is no questioning what comes from the pulpit. Well, you can but those in the pulpit will usually ensure you are imprisoned for it.

Our community was somewhat disappointed when Pastor Eddie Long successfully, and quietly, mediated his case because we wanted to hear the truth about hypocrisy behind the pulpit. It was important to measure Pastor Long's words about same gender marriage to see if they added up, or whether his bombastic sermons were just the rantings of an angry conservative fundamentalist pastor projecting hatred for those who had the nerve to be honest, and do things he never dared? It is an important narrative to ensure those on the sidelines will evolve towards equality when the sad truth about homophobia, and pedophilia borne of religious sexual repression, might come spilling out.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

¨Ironically, the two young men said in an interview in Miami last week, Long often compared his young charges to David, casting them as metaphoric armor-bearers to the bishop’s King Saul. Now they were being portrayed as Goliath.

“I just got quiet,” Parris said. “I started crying. I couldn’t even stop crying because I was angry. The way he walked up [to the stage]. The way I saw people stand up and applaud this man. [I thought] how dare you.”

A year later, the wounds are still raw for both men who, with two other plaintiffs, sued last September alleging the charismatic pastor “uses monetary funds from the accounts of New Birth and other corporate and non-profit corporate accounts to entice the young men with cars, clothes, jewelry, and electronics.”

Yes, after the lawsuit was mediated then the alleged victims had to sit there and take it, or risk losing their settlement. Two of Long's alleged victims decided their silence isn't worth it.¨ HERE

·  Thanks to Timothy Beauchamp
·  Thanks to Americablog/Gay, sidebar
·  Thanks to The Atlanta Constitution