ABC Supports Gulag UK

Ruining the Anglican Communion isn’t enough for Rowan Williams. Now Our Gracious Lord of Canterbury is assisting the Left in their push to turn Britain into Gulag UK with his support of laws against free speech.

It saddens me to see the UK becoming a place where it’s safer to be a criminal than a man with a backbone and right-minded opinions. I hope there are enough English left who haven’t lost their backbones to devolution to stand up and stop this madness. But I’m not terribly confident about that.

With Canada already being the Shiny Happy Gulag, the places in the world where free speech is protected are getting fewer and fewer.

The Bishop of Oxford Wimps Out

Up to now, I’ve been very well disposed toward the Bishop of Oxford, John Pritchard. So I’m disappointed to find out that the proposed loud speaker broadcasts of Muslim calls to prayer in Oxford are just hunky-dory with him.

The numerous comments on the above story are interesting by the way. This is a rather heated issue in Oxford.

About Money . . .

Most of my good readers know that I do not think the Episcopal Church and similarly apostate denominations are tenable places for the orthodox. However, I do respect those orthodox who, because of their ecclesiological convictions, stay in and work for reform and do not undermine those whose convictions compel them to leave. As I lamented in my first post of the year and as Matt Kennedy and others lament, mutual respect and cooperation between the two groups is breaking down. It should not be so.

Therefore, I hesitate to give instruction to those orthodox who are staying in. However, I think it’s needful to remind all about the importance of not allowing your contributions to be used for evil. If someone is careless in this matter, then they will likely be participating in apostasy and all its vile offspring. In the Episcopal Church, they will likely be participating even in the persecution of the faithful, backed by absurd spin, of course.

Sadly, it’s not enough simply to write on your checks “for parish use only” as spelled out here. Please do check out that link for some of the logistical issues of restricted giving.

I will opine, however, that unless your parish is also restricting their giving or is at least sympathetic to the practice, your efforts to keep your giving from being used for evil may be in vain as “Adam 12” (from comment 2 on the link) found out:

I asked that none of my parish pledge go to my diocese a few years back, and the rector quietly assured me this would not happen. But what in reality did happen was that the same full diocesan pledge was paid by the parish, only by other parishoners whose pledges were “taxed” at a higher rate.

There are any number of ways uncooperative churches can subvert restricted giving. Still, turning off the money spigots to apostasy can make a difference as evidenced by the spectacle the TEC Diocese of Virginia is making of itself.

So I plead with my orthodox friends still in the Episcopal Church and other mainline denominations: please be diligent to ensure your contributions are not funding evil.

---

MORE: In looking at the Diocese of Virginia situation, Still on Petrol notes:

Bishop Lee seems possessed of a certain level of desperation these days, as reflected in his unprecedented complaint about insufficient giving from parishes in his Diocese. Instead of demanding more money, should Bishop Lee not be addressing WHY giving is down? Could it be, hmmm, that people object to the Diocese going $2 million in the hole SO FAR in the Virginia Eleven litigation, with a long way to go? Could it be that Virginia Episcopalians are not happy that the Diocese knuckled under to PB Schori and instituted litigation in violation of its own policies and protocol and its stand-still agreement with the eleven parishes? The way the Episcopal hierarchy has thrown its collective weight around without one whit's of interest in what its membership thinks has resulted in a situation where the pew potatoes are voting with the only weapon at their disposal - by withholding giving to the church.

But quite a weapon it is, apparently.

Labour Strives to Hand UK Over to the Beast EU

The Labour Party’s traitorous effort to cram their policy of handing the UK over to the European Union down the throats of the Britons is well under way.

And no, I am not overstating matters. If I were a UK citizen, I would be furious that the Labour Party broke their promise to hold a referendum before submitting the UK to political control of the EU. Heck, I’m not a UK citizen, and I’m furious. The UK is being handed over to Brussels, and the people don’t even get to vote on it? Not only that, but their votes for a party that promised a referendum are nullified.

Labour is acting like an ally of Antichrist -- which in fact they are.

Cranmer is closely following this treasonous putsch.

Free Books?!?

I don’t say much about it here, but around the turn of the millennium, in my pre-Anglican days, I wrote a book for youth, God Knows What It’s Like to be a Teenager. Yes, that’s the one linked at the top right. What I did was take the Psalms, all 150 of them, and relate them to everyday teen life.

I put a lot of work into it. It took me three years (with breaks) to write it. Then was the arduous task of finding a publisher. Finally a small publisher took me on, and I was on my way. I kept the phone lines busy and went on a few book (and skate) tours. So I sold a decent number of books, for a first book at least.

However, I was overly ambitious with my first printing. So now I have quite an inventory of books taking up space in my garage.

Why am I telling you all this?

I am giving away boxes of God Knows What It’s Like to be a Teenager (36 books per box) for use in ministry and/or fundraising to churches and other groups and organizations that are 1. worthy in my eyes and 2. have small budgets that don’t readily allow for bulk book purchases.

Now be aware that I did indeed write God Knows in my pre-Anglican days. And I would write it differently today. Nevertheless, churches and youth groups from Foursquare to Roman Catholic have found my book useful.

So check out the web site linked above. And e-mail me if you want a box or two: mark at godknows99 dot com. Be sure to tell me a little about your church or organization and how you would use the books. Thanks for helping me clean out my garage.

Church of England Property Grab Must Be Stopped

I’m obviously not a member of the Church of England. And I’m no expert on the minutiae of English Church property matters. But I do find this report on a CofE attempt to grab the vicarage property of parishes disturbing. It certainly should disturb those in the Church of England.

Sordid American experience has shown that the more control a national church body has over congregational property, the more apostates can use that control to coerce and punish those congregations who refuse to go along with apostasy. (I’m not saying the CofE is apostate . . . yet.)

English Anglican laity, rise up and stop this property grab!

Bobby Fischer, R.I.P

I rarely mention the chess side of life here though I’m a bit of a chess nut. But I can’t let the passing of Bobby Fischer go without comment.

I don’t wish to dwell on the repugnant comments he made in his later years. Without making excuses for him, he likely was mentally ill. Fortunately, those statements are certainly not his most important contribution to history.

Back in 1972, in the midst of the Cold War, the Russians dominated chess and had for decades. But the young American Bobby Fischer almost single-handedly beat Boris Spassky and the Soviet chess machine behind him to become world champion.

At the time I was in 6th grade and was enthralled by the match. I cut out newspaper stories on the game and put them in my scrapbook. And I got serious about chess. And, like all boys, I dreamed. My dream was that my hero Bobby Fischer would be world champion for a decade or two . . . and then I would beat him.

Things turned out a bit differently for both of us. In 9th grade, rightly or wrongly, probably rightly, I concluded I was just too absent-minded to be great at chess. It would be 20, 25 years before I got serious about the game again. And, yes, I still struggle with absent-mindedness among other afflictions in my game. As for Bobby Fischer, undermined by his own demons, he never defended his world championship.

But his mark on chess remains, both in history and on those many Americans who, like me, caught the chess bug and never were quite able to shake it off.

Maybe Schori needs to hire Mugabe’s goons . . .

. . . for she is trying to put down Bishops Duncan, and Iker, and Schofield, but is only succeeding in getting self-inflicted egg in her face.

Mugabe’s Goons Attack Churches

As if he hasn’t committed enough outrage in Zimbabwe, Leftist dictator Robert Mugabe sent his goons into Anglican church services and arrested at least three priests and several parishioners.

The parishes don’t recognize his deposed pet bishop Nolbert Kunonga.

Don’t forget that the World Council of Churches were big time supporters of Mugabe and have yet to apologize for that. I’m not forgetting.

APA Not Joining Common Cause Partners at this time.

APA Presiding Bishop Walter Grundorf has decided that his Anglican Province of America will not be joining the Common Cause Partners at this time.

The decision is disappointing but understandable. The main reason behind not joining are that the APA is divided on the question of joining with some wishing not to get involved again in the unpleasantness of a divorce in progress. Really, with the APA split on the question, ++Grundorf made the right call.

But if I were in APA, I would be sorely disappointed. I want to be part of more than just a small denomination. Really being a catholic Anglican implies that. And that is important enough that I don’t think one should wait until all the ducks are in a row to unite with other committed orthodox Anglicans. So I much prefer my Reformed Episcopal Church’s course of joining CCP.

The APA not joining still effects the REC. It has to be a set back to the two bodies’ efforts to merge. But one can certainly pray with hope that this is only a temporary setback.

Hilary Term in Oxford

Today is St. Hilary’s Day. Hence Hilary Term has begun in Oxford. And I’m glad not to be there.

Yes, I know. I’m missing the lovely English weather and the short rainy days. I’m missing seemingly endless academic work. But I like my life here in South Texas better for some reason.

Well, maybe I’m not that glad not to be there. I do miss times with friends made last year, particularly the stimulating conversations over meals at Pusey House. And I miss the wonderful services there and elsewhere in Oxford.

To go to a dark candlelit chapel in the gloomy night, say at New College or Magdalen, to sit quietly in preparation for Choral Evensong, then to worship assisted by the bright voices of one of the best choirs in the world -- there’s nothing like it. And I do miss it.

The Shiny Happy Gulag gets put in its place.

Some have well dubbed Canada “the Shiny Happy Gulag” because of its attacks on basic freedoms such as speech and religion. Well, the SHG may have met its match in Ezra Levant, who isn’t taking any crap from the concentration camp guards bureaucrats.

Levant has been hauled before the so-called Alberta Human Rights Commission for publishing those cartoons of Mohammed that Islamic thugs used as an excuse to kill non-Muslims. And he is getting in the face of those who would punish him for exercising his right to free speech.

His opening statement may be found here. I particularly like this line:

Now the commission, which is funded by a secular government, from the pockets of taxpayers of all backgrounds, is taking it upon itself to be an enforcer of the views of radical Islam. So much for the separation of mosque and state.

This site is closely following the case, including posting videos from the hearing.

It’s high time real men and strong women stand up to those who would take away our basic freedoms in the West and let them know that they can take their gulags and shove it!

I pray we see more of this. And with liberals and leftists overreaching on both sides of the Atlantic, maybe we will. God help us if we don’t.

--Schori Inhibits +Schofield

In an expected and classless act, TEC Presiding Heretic Katherine Schori has inhibited Bishop Schofield.

Three observations:

1. In the business world, when a company wishes not to attract attention to news which shows that it’s being run in a sorry fashion, it will release said news late on Friday on the margins of the normal news cycle. But surely that’s not why TEC released this news late on a Friday.

2. “Windsor Bishop” Wimberly of the Diocese of Texas approved of this action. Can you say “collaborationist wimp”? He’s tried to be all things to all people. But towards the end of his undistinguished tenure, his true colors are showing . . . particularly the color yellow.

UPDATE: Matt+ Kennedy tells it like it is about Wimberly and "Windsor Bishops."

3. The Archbishop of Canterbury will have to actually make a real decision: whether to keep +Schofield invited to Lambeth or not. Either way, he will tick off people. It should be fun to watch.

SATAN MOVES TO DISESTABLISH CHURCH OF ENGLAND

A motion to disestablish the Church of England has been introduced in the House of Commons. The number assigned to the motion? 666.

As Cramner opines, “The motion to disestablish the Church of England may very well be the work of an anti-Christ. Looking at some Members in the House, the possibility is rather high.”

Rather high, indeed.

Real Inclusiveness

Bishop Duncan, Moderator of the Common Cause Partners (CCP) has sent out invitations to CCP bishops to attend GAFCon. And, yes, all CCP bishops are invited:

The Global Anglican Future Conference will bring together orthodox Anglican bishops from all over the world, especially gathering those who for reasons of conscience are unable to accept their invitation to this year’s Lambeth Conference, as well as some who believe it crucially important to attend both conferences. It will also gather some bishops and wives, especially true of the Common Cause College of Bishops, who were not invited to Lambeth.

The contrast with Lambeth is glaring. Let’s see. A church conference to which heretics and apostates are invited, but a number of orthodox Anglican bishops, including my bishops, are not. Or a church conference to which all these orthodox bishops along with clergy and laymen are invited, but which draws the line against heresy and apostasy.

Guess which one I’d rather attend?

About New Hampshire and Polls

My kind readers have probably noticed I’m not a big fan of Hillary Clinton. Still, last night I enjoyed watching the news media going to strenuous efforts to wipe the egg off their faces. They assumed Obama was going to win big and were already talking about what that meant about the rest of the campaign. Oops!

To show more fairness than the Mainstream News Media ever has, their presumption was understandable -- all the polls, including Clinton’s internal polls, showed Obama was going to win. So what happened?

To give Hillary credit, she did campaign well in the closing days. And, yes, I do think her teary-eyed moment helped. She looked very human and decent, eliciting empathy even from me. I also suspect some had second thoughts about Obama, as they should. So there probably was a last minute swing to Clinton.

But there is factor not much talked about. It is a bit awkward to talk about. But this former political operative has no tact, so here goes.

People lie to polls. And there are occasions when they are particularly prone to lie to polls. If the media culture creates an atmosphere in which it seems people who don’t vote for a certain candidate are not “with it” or are even wrong-headed, some people will say they support said candidate even if they do not. (I’m convinced this was a factor behind inaccurate exit polls in the 2000 presidential election, by the way.) Peer pressure to conform or at least pretend to conform doesn’t end in high school.

Further, if the media-favored candidate is of African-American heritage, people who may not support said candidate are all the more prone to dissemble because they do not want to be perceived as racist. I know of one past Senate campaign so certain of this that they factored it into their evaluation of polls.

The media cheerleading of Obama was rather blatant. And, yes, Obama is of African-American heritage. So, yes, there was a lot of fibbing going on in those polls. Some people told pollsters one thing, while doing quite another when in the privacy of the polling booth. It’s not the first time that has happened, and it won’t be the last.

And not-so-by-the-way, the New Hampshire primary is indeed by secret ballot. The Iowa caucus is emphatically not. The Iowa caucus is a bit of a circus which compounds not dampens peer pressure.

New Liturgics Blog

Fr. John Hunwicke, the new Priest-in-Charge at St. Thomas the Martyr in Oxford has begun an interesting blog focusing on liturgical matters.

I do not suggest trying to slip Ungodly Innovations past him.

Traditional, Yet Inviting

Longtime readers of this blog know I am a scourge of Ungodly Innovation prefer traditional worship. At the same time, however, I think it important that worship be inviting so that people, particularly children and youth, feel comfortable participating -- without dumbing it down, of course.

During our Epiphany Sunday service, my parish celebrated Holy Baptism in a manner that was both very traditional yet inviting. We had the paschal candle by the font and a very traditional (and not truncated) rite as the Lord intends. At the same time, people were free to gather around for the blessed event. Children were specifically invited to gather around the font to be reminded of the pledges they made or were made on their behalf at their baptism. And they were indeed right by the action.



Note in the following photo how the Rector’s thirteen-year-old son (# 45) is sitting by the celebration of baptism in a relaxed, casual manner as teenagers are wont to do.



And that is as it should be. If a parish’s worship is traditional yet is conducted so that children and youth feel that comfortable participating in it, that parish is doing something right. It certainly makes more tangible that worship is what the family of God does together.

Lambeth ’08 - To Go or Not to Go?

There’s been some discussion of late on the question of whether orthodox Anglican bishops should attend this year’s Lambeth Conference. Archbishop Gregory Venables has been much involved in said discussion, namely here and here. The latter is a remarkable thread indeed.

My thoughts?

1. Any strong Lambeth resolutions that put apostasy in its place have been and will be subverted by the current occupant of the chair of Canterbury.

2. A key policy of said occupant has been to string along the orthodox enough to get everybody to Lambeth. His subterfuge should neither be rewarded nor allowed to succeed.

Therefore, I reluctantly conclude the best course is not to attend Lambeth.

About Iowa

I love being right sometimes. I told you Huckabee won the Christmas War and would win Iowa big.

I also like that the two big phonies, Hillary and Romney, got spanked.

But before we get too excited about whoever or whatever, keep this in mind about Iowa: it’s a state where those well to the left or right of center do better than “moderates.” In my lifetime, I can’t remember a moderate senator they have elected. But I can remember a number of both very liberal and very conservative senators from Iowa. It’s a funny state that way.

So it’s no surprise that the lefty combo of Obama and Edwards beat Hillary and that Huckabee beat everybody.

Having said that, I still think Hillary and Romney are both in big trouble.

Thirty-one bishops support +San Joaquin.

Thirty-one bishops have signed a public letter in support of the Bishop of San Joaquin. What I find most interesting and heartening on the list is the Bishop of Rochester’s name.

I’m on a friendly basis with one of the bishops and have passed on my thanks to him for signing. I encourage my good readers to pass on their thanks as well.

Muslim Calls to Prayer in Oxford?

I might have left Oxford just in time. Not only has the weather gotten colder there, but a local mosque has asked the City Council permission to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer, the Adhan, three times a day.

The thought of that awful . . . sound being broadcast via loud speakers over Oxford sickens me. I would find walking through Oxford and hearing that genuinely disturbing. My prayers are with those non-Muslim Oxonians who would have to hear that awful whiney cacophony every day, three times a day.

As for me, if that’s what Oxford becomes, I might not ever go back. I’m serious. Part of what makes Oxford Oxford are wonderful sounds such as the choirs, the church bells that so brightened my moods, even some of the street performers. (Note I said some.) To allow such an obnoxious invasion of that cultural atmosphere would be a travesty.

But I suspect the City Council is daft enough to ruin their cultural inheritance and give permission.

Cranmer has dissected this matter very well, so I will defer further commentary to him for now.

A Resolution and a Plea

I perhaps should have made this post on New Years Day or before. But I’ve struggled with how to approach what I think needs to be said and still do even as I type this (which will probably show).

Those who peruse the big Anglican blogs know that “Communion Conservatives” (those who advocate contending for the faith by staying in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion) and “Federal Conservatives” (those who are convinced one or both of those bodies are too far gone to the point they think it best orthodox at least prepare to leave) are rather close to each other’s throats at the moment.

To be honest, I have my opinion as to which side is most at blame, but that’s not my concern right now. This post may even seem a bit vague because I don’t want to engage in figure pointing. For my concern is that anger between the two sides is getting to and past the point that it will make it difficult for these two sides of orthodox Anglicans to work together in the future.

That distresses me. If it turns out the Federal Conservatives are right and the Communion Conservative eventually find staying in TEC and the like to be untenable, I want the Comm-Cons to feel they have a refuge in Common Cause and/or whatever church bodies the Fed-Cons form. Likewise, if a miracle happens and the Anglican Communion or even the Episcopal Church sufficiently reforms, I want Fed-Cons to feel they can return. I hope the current divisions between the two are temporary. And even if Comm-Cons and Fed-Cons remain on different tracks, I want them to be able still to work together on those things they can.

For the sake of current and future unity and witness, both sides should step back and engage in self-criticism instead of undercutting the other side. And, yes, there has been willful undercutting of the efforts of faithful orthodox Anglicans by other committed orthodox Anglicans. That must stop.

Communion Conservatives should focus on what they are going to do in the current situation instead of undercutting what the Federal Conservatives are doing. Likewise, Federal Conservatives should focus on their direction and not ridicule the strategy of Communion Conservatives or say they are in any way unfaithful for staying.

And I include myself in that. I find some Communion Conservatives exasperating at times, and when I get in rant mode, my words can be rather sharp. So if I’ve said anything unhelpful about the Comm-Cons, I apologize. I will exercise the utmost care in what I write about them from henceforth, and I invite my good readers to hold me accountable in that.

Both sides need likewise to step back and repent or at least relent lest we become an ugly spectacle that makes our divisions harsher and more permanent and causes long lasting damage to orthodox Anglican unity and witness.