Do we have to be rude?

Perhaps I’m not one to ask that question. I’ve been straight-talking Texan much longer than I’ve been Anglican. So I’m not the most tactful guy in the world. And, frankly, I’ve been socially clueless for most of my life.

But even I know that if you are “asked” or “requested” to leave, resign, whatever, you are being “asked” in order to give you a graceful way out, not for you to decide to stay where you are not welcome.

So I am amazed at the response from some liberals to this key paragraph of the Primates' communiqué:

14. Within the ambit of the issues discussed in the Windsor Report and in order to recognise the integrity of all parties, we request that the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada voluntarily withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council for the period leading up to the next Lambeth Conference. During that same period we request that both churches respond through their relevant constitutional bodies to the questions specifically addressed to them in the Windsor Report as they consider their place within the Anglican Communion.

Some are pointing to “voluntarily” and are actually advising that ECUSA decide to stay in the Anglican Consultative Council.

It makes me wonder if there is some serious denial going on here. Being the tactful, gentle guy I am, let me attempt to break through any possible denial:

North American Episcolibs, you’ve been requested to leave the ACC (at least until the next Lambeth Conference in 2008). You should know well that “request [to] voluntarily withdraw” is Anglican for . . . “leave!” Do the Primates have to be rude and unanglican and spell that out bluntly? Are you going to be rude and crash a council where you are not welcome?

Now I hope and almost expect that ++Griswold and most liberals have more sense than that. I’ve been “asked to leave” something before, too. And even I, in the midst of a stressful situation, immediately had enough sense to know it was pointless to stay.

If ECUSA and Anglican Church of Canada leaders don’t have more sense than that . . . . Well, let’s just hope they do.