Petulance

As I and others have noted, Episcolibs have been showing their horns rhetorical fangs lately now that the Primates Meeting is nearing with indications it will not be a good one for the Episcopal Church.

When you look at the big picture, their invective is a bit childish. Allow me to use a football analogy to illustrate. (We’re addicted to those here in Texas.)

Bubba Smash joins the football team. At the end of the first team meeting, the coach announces, “I shouldn’t have to say this, but it’s been an issue in recent years. There will be no drinking or partying of any kind on the nights before football games. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

Lambeth 1998 clearly rejected “homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture” and added “the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions [or] ordaining those involved in same gender unions” is out as well.

But Bubba Smash was a party boy. And he ignored the coach and went right on partying and drinking on nights before games. In fact, he was brazen about it. Coach didn’t want to bench Bubba and was a bit of a softy. So he didn’t immediately bench him. But he did strongly warn him. And Bubba went right on partying.

In 2003, in the face of repeated warnings from the Primates, the Episcopal Church consents to and consecrates Gene Robinson, a man in an open homosexual relationship, as Bishop of New Hampshire. Further, same sex blessings are encouraged.

Coach finally benches Bubba and tells him he must stop his partying ways or he may have to leave the team.

The Windsor Report, calling upon the Episcopal Church to stop ordaining gay bishops and blessing same-sex unions, is mildly strengthened and approved at Dromantine. The Report warns that failure of the Episcopal Church to apologize and relent may result in “walking apart. Subsequently, the Anglican Consultative Council asks the Episcopal Church to refrain from voting at the ACC for a time, in effect benching them.

When it became clear that Bubba was showing up for games hung over and was going to keep right on partying no matter what Coach said, Coach realized he had no choice. He booted Bubba off the team.

And that’s what’s likely about to happen to TEC. Although Anglicans are nice about such things and will likely arrange it so that TEC votes itself out of the Anglican Communion, probably by General Convention 2009.

Bubba doesn’t take being kicked off the team well and accuses Coach (and the rest of the team for that matter, most of whom were quite fed up with Bubba) of being backward, prejudiced, and unjust.

Yes, very juvenile . . . just like those having conniptions that the Episcopal Church is about to actually finally get disciplined.

The Episcolibs behavior is worse than Bubba’s though. For while wanting to be handled with kid gloves, TEC now has a policy of going after the orthodox, especially those who feel compelled to leave. Congregations like Falls Church and Truro in Virginia are bending over backwards to try to make leaving as amicable as possible. Their efforts are repaid with faux defrockings and with lawsuits to kick them out of their buildings while the Episcolibs cheer on the attacks. TEC wants mercy while refusing to exercise it themselves.

Moreover, as Captain Yips points out, the Episcolibs have already won! They control the Episcopal Church. Even if they lose every property battle, they will retain the most prestigious trophy properties. They get to be as inclusive as all get out with no one able to stand in the way and get to form their own international liberal communion. Fun, fun, fun! Heck, they should be happy!

But no.

It’s hard to believe we’re talking about grown-ups. They willfully and brazenly broke team rules again and again in the face of warning after warning and yet are angry that they might actually finally be kicked off the team.

Incredible. Just incredible.