Rumor has it that Pope Benedict will visit Oxford when he comes to the UK. Hmmm.
Wherever your life’s travels take you, may you have an excellent New Year.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Belated Thoughts on the Covenant
My patient readers may think that I’ve been ignoring the proposed Anglican Covenant. I have not. But I’ve been having issues with time and energy. Plus it is not easy to get my arms around my thoughts on the Covenant. So I’ve thought it best not to post on it.
But now I will take a stab at it.
Although I am not quite as negative on the Covenant as Still on Patrol, I agree with him that it is ineffective and irrelevant and “will not solve anything.”
And that is not because the proposed Covenant is a horrid document. It is not that horrible in my view, though I could surely pit-nick it if I wanted. The core problem is not a lack of standards to abide by; the problem is a lack of will to enforce standards, especially the lack of will on the part of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Rowan Williams, although not a pope, has a number of powers to discipline The Episcopal Church and has declined to use them. He could have disinvited from Lambeth Presiding Heretic Schori and other “bishops” who consecrated Gene Robinson and have not disavowed that. Or he could have put TEC’s apostasy front and center on Lambeth’s agenda. Instead, he invited all the TEC bishops save one and indabaed Lambeth into irrelevance.
Dr. Williams could have followed the lead of several Global South Primates and declared impaired or broken communion with The Episcopal Church. He has done nothing of the sort.
Instead he has been an enabler. And when he absolutely, positively has had to make a decision, he has given The Episcopal Church a pass – even when he had to undermine the rest of Primates to do so.
The Anglican Communion under Rowan Williams is like the parent who threatens and threatens a misbehaving child . . . but never actually disciplines. For effective discipline, including church discipline, there not only has to be good standards and timely warnings, there has to be the will to discipline.
The Anglican Communion, and especially the Archbishop of Canterbury, lacks that will.
Without that will, the Covenant is close to pointless.
But now I will take a stab at it.
Although I am not quite as negative on the Covenant as Still on Patrol, I agree with him that it is ineffective and irrelevant and “will not solve anything.”
And that is not because the proposed Covenant is a horrid document. It is not that horrible in my view, though I could surely pit-nick it if I wanted. The core problem is not a lack of standards to abide by; the problem is a lack of will to enforce standards, especially the lack of will on the part of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Rowan Williams, although not a pope, has a number of powers to discipline The Episcopal Church and has declined to use them. He could have disinvited from Lambeth Presiding Heretic Schori and other “bishops” who consecrated Gene Robinson and have not disavowed that. Or he could have put TEC’s apostasy front and center on Lambeth’s agenda. Instead, he invited all the TEC bishops save one and indabaed Lambeth into irrelevance.
Dr. Williams could have followed the lead of several Global South Primates and declared impaired or broken communion with The Episcopal Church. He has done nothing of the sort.
Instead he has been an enabler. And when he absolutely, positively has had to make a decision, he has given The Episcopal Church a pass – even when he had to undermine the rest of Primates to do so.
The Anglican Communion under Rowan Williams is like the parent who threatens and threatens a misbehaving child . . . but never actually disciplines. For effective discipline, including church discipline, there not only has to be good standards and timely warnings, there has to be the will to discipline.
The Anglican Communion, and especially the Archbishop of Canterbury, lacks that will.
Without that will, the Covenant is close to pointless.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A Modest Proposal
A brilliant send up of libchurchers’ arguments for gay clergy, etc. may be found here in the guise of “a modest proposal,” namely temple prostitution.
I particularly find this excerpt deliciously on target:
First off, let’s address the common objections. Sure, there are a handful of Bible verses that might seem to condemn the practice. But all the condemnation of temple prostitution involves pagan practices or worship of false gods. The objectionable thing is the idolatry, not the physical act itself. Sanctified, faithful prostitution in service of the true God is a new thing. The Biblical writers never foresaw or contemplated sanctified, faithful, God-pleasing prostitution in the churches and thus never wrote about it. Attempts to find a Biblical injunction against the practice therefore fall short.
Sounds familiar, does it not?
Do read the whole thing, but not while drinking coffee.
But what is most amazing about this piece is that it comes from . . . a Lutheran. Lutherans do satire?
I particularly find this excerpt deliciously on target:
First off, let’s address the common objections. Sure, there are a handful of Bible verses that might seem to condemn the practice. But all the condemnation of temple prostitution involves pagan practices or worship of false gods. The objectionable thing is the idolatry, not the physical act itself. Sanctified, faithful prostitution in service of the true God is a new thing. The Biblical writers never foresaw or contemplated sanctified, faithful, God-pleasing prostitution in the churches and thus never wrote about it. Attempts to find a Biblical injunction against the practice therefore fall short.
Sounds familiar, does it not?
Do read the whole thing, but not while drinking coffee.
But what is most amazing about this piece is that it comes from . . . a Lutheran. Lutherans do satire?
Baucus Office Denies Drunkenness
Sen. Baucus’s (D(runk)-Montana) spokesman indignantly denies that the Senator was drunk on the Senate floor:
When his friend of 30 years Ted Kennedy, with whom he had fought so hard to provide health care to children, was being used as a cheap foil to oppose health care reform, Senator Baucus gave a passionate defense. Unfortunately, those who want to kill any meaningful reform, turned it into an unfounded, untrue personal smear internet rumor. This is beyond the pale and this type of gutter politics has no place in the public sphere. It is this type of slander that makes Montanans, and Americans, disgusted with the politics as usual in Washington. And what is even more sad is that such a personal attack would be given any validity at all, let alone being elevated to the status of "news".
Translation: If my boss speaks on the Senate floor as if he’s either drunk as a sailor or channeling Ted Kennedy, it’s not news.
But what do you think? Was Baucus drunk? A helpful poll with plenty of choices may be found here. It is interesting to note that only 3 out of 730 so far picked that Baucus was “sober.”
Me? I voted that he was “channeling Ted Kennedy.”
When his friend of 30 years Ted Kennedy, with whom he had fought so hard to provide health care to children, was being used as a cheap foil to oppose health care reform, Senator Baucus gave a passionate defense. Unfortunately, those who want to kill any meaningful reform, turned it into an unfounded, untrue personal smear internet rumor. This is beyond the pale and this type of gutter politics has no place in the public sphere. It is this type of slander that makes Montanans, and Americans, disgusted with the politics as usual in Washington. And what is even more sad is that such a personal attack would be given any validity at all, let alone being elevated to the status of "news".
Translation: If my boss speaks on the Senate floor as if he’s either drunk as a sailor or channeling Ted Kennedy, it’s not news.
But what do you think? Was Baucus drunk? A helpful poll with plenty of choices may be found here. It is interesting to note that only 3 out of 730 so far picked that Baucus was “sober.”
Me? I voted that he was “channeling Ted Kennedy.”
Monday, December 28, 2009
Baucus Drunk During Senate Floor Speech
It is not quite as amusing as this version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, but Sen. Max Baucus (D(runk)-Montana) was full of Christmas spirits as he gave this Senate floor speech attacking Republicans on Obamacare.
Perhaps, maybe, he was just drunk with power. But if I had to defend Obamacare on the floor of the Senate, I might want to get some fortification, too.
Not-so-by-the-way, have you heard of this in the “Mainstream” News Media? Do you think they would be as quiet as a mouse if it were a leading Republican drunk on the Senate floor?
Perhaps, maybe, he was just drunk with power. But if I had to defend Obamacare on the floor of the Senate, I might want to get some fortification, too.
Not-so-by-the-way, have you heard of this in the “Mainstream” News Media? Do you think they would be as quiet as a mouse if it were a leading Republican drunk on the Senate floor?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Nine Lessons and Carols
Tomorrow morning, Christmas Eve, I’ll have my annual attack of teary eyes (brought on by allergies, mind you) while I listen to Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge.
For me the most awesome moment of Christmas is when a lone boy sings to a packed King’s College Chapel and to a listening world and begins the great service.
By the way, the boy in the above video is Sam Landman. I had the privilege of meeting a 15-year-old version of him at King’s in 2007. He already possessed a humble confidence and graciousness rare in anyone, much less a teenage boy.
In the evening, my parish will celebrate Christmas Eve with a humbler version of Nine Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion following. The glory of Christmas will be every bit as great.
May you also have a glorious and merry Christmas.
MORE: The service booklet for the King's College Nine Lessons and Carols may be found in pdf form here.
For me the most awesome moment of Christmas is when a lone boy sings to a packed King’s College Chapel and to a listening world and begins the great service.
By the way, the boy in the above video is Sam Landman. I had the privilege of meeting a 15-year-old version of him at King’s in 2007. He already possessed a humble confidence and graciousness rare in anyone, much less a teenage boy.
In the evening, my parish will celebrate Christmas Eve with a humbler version of Nine Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion following. The glory of Christmas will be every bit as great.
May you also have a glorious and merry Christmas.
MORE: The service booklet for the King's College Nine Lessons and Carols may be found in pdf form here.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tyranny: Democrats to Make Obamacare Repeal-Proof
Senate Democrats are about to pass an Enabling Act, a provision that makes it almost impossible to repeal Obamacare. For in their bill is a provision that would require a two-thirds vote to repeal a key subsection. The provision reads thus:
it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.
Just like the Enabling Act of 1933, this provision ties the Senate’s hands from repealing tyranny. And not just the hands of this Senate but of future Senates.
Democrats, your Fascism is showing.
Obamacare must be stopped.
More here and here.
it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.
Just like the Enabling Act of 1933, this provision ties the Senate’s hands from repealing tyranny. And not just the hands of this Senate but of future Senates.
Democrats, your Fascism is showing.
Obamacare must be stopped.
More here and here.
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