The Zen saying, "Do not seek the truth; only cease to cherish opinions," captures the local status of the Blessing of Gay Unions debate within the Episcopal Church right now. Two area churches feel so strongly about the topic that they'd rather see a split in the national church rather than waste time debating about it. Their opinions on the matter are so strong that they don't matter anymore.The debate heated up Monday when the Anglican Communion--the organized body of the Church of England--demanded that the US Episcopal Church ban blessings of same-sex unions and the consecration of gay bishops.
"I wish the Anglican Communion would just go away and let us run our ministries," said the Rev. James Bradley of St. John's Church in Waterbury, which supports same-sex unions.
Likewise, the Rev. Allyn Benedict of Christ Episcopal in Watertown said he and his parishioners, who object to same-sex unions, don't want to reconcile.
On one level, the matter of same-sex unions is one of religion for some. On another, it's about politics--which is always about power and money. Where it's about politics, it's about the church as institution and not about the hearts and souls of human beings. So we can drop the subject in favor of being kind on purpose.
2 Comments
I like your conclusion. I don't think I have to be a vegan to favor the blessing of the animals; or a war monger to favor the blessing of the troops.
ReplyDeleteI am finding it difficult to imagine a blessing of the bigots, but He's not done with me yet.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteI read your comment and had this vision of all these bigots being led into church on their leashes or in cages on the scale of the blessing of the animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Sort of an editorial cartoon drawing itself in my imagination.
Thanks for being here.