Is The Episcopal Church a Learning Polity?

Well, the latest and greatest plot has been hatched by those who would eliminate the Episcopal Church from the encyclopedia -- as well as the United States (and Canada as well). Seems, these two groups are far too liberal for even the clergy and laity that would NOT leave for the Global South. According to a whole bunch of the "loyal opposition" they just wanted to bring us closer to God - - and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Of course they wanted to do this without "that woman" as Presiding Bishop or Susan Russell and "that group" and whole lot of the rest of us. So, the Communion Partners including the Anglican Communion Institute and every other "conservative" cleric and bishop decided to hatch a plot to do just that.

Yesterday there was a flurry of blog postings shining the light of day on this insidious plot to do away with the Presiding Bishop along with the rest of us. Today is another day. Fr. Mark has posted a critical canonical piece to refute the "great scholarly writing" of those who would betray the Episcopal Church. Tobias Haller has also written a substantive work on where these interlopers fell off the tracks. Susan Russell has likewise written a refutation of this "revolutionary subterfuge".

But ya know, ain't it always like that?

One would think with all the learned persons on this side of the fence we would be able to put a plan into play that does something beside say "Oh ya!". Do you know what I mean? A couple of examples. Mr. Wantland and Mr. Howe and Mr. Schofield go off and file incorporation papers and try to abscond with the name "The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America" and this is uncovered and everyone writes about and cites the proper constitution and canons and all the stuff and the plot is thwarted and we say "Oh ya!", nothing else just, "Oh ya!".

Mr. Schofield and Mr. Duncan and Mr. Iker all say, the Episcopal Church has moved and so we are the real church and everyone else is apostate and so they must be recognized. We take the time, once again look up and help everyone understand the constitutions and canons and then guess what happens? We say, "Oh ya!" Then, Mr. Duncan and Mr. Schofield and Mr. Iker and whoever the h**l runs Quincy goes to the Southern Cone -- ah, this time we did a little more than "Oh ya!" but not much. Those global south folks one-upped everyone by forming GAFCON and we struggled to find traction, and when we did and produced the documents and scholarly writings necessary to refute their claims and then we said "Oh ya!" Now, we have the Communion Partners who tell us the Presiding Bishop is only a woman and really can't lead a whole Province, not like say, Bobby Duncan, and we refute it in a scholarly manner and end up with a whole lot of "Oh ya!".

I would like to point out, as an interesting side note, that during this entire time those LGBT who are Episcopalian have paid an enormous price for all this "Oh ya!". So do not think we, as the Episcopal Church are not somewhat duplicitous in this struggle where "no one is getting hurt." Remember B033? And while TEC is busy refuting the nonsense the opposition is hatching more nonsense and then hiding behind the argument" Don't you love us? Aren't we part of the big tent? Oh, so you are not really all inclusive?!" And a bunch of us become wracked with guilt and feel bad about the whole affair.

So, the main question is have we learned anything and are we prepared to do something about it? Have enough LGBT and women now been hurt, maimed and psychologically (as well as really) killed to put together some of these great minds and get a plan of action in place that will outwit, outplay and OUTLAST our opponents? Are we ready to protect our beloved Church with everything we have? Is it not the time to stop this fooling around before something MORE terrible happens if that is possible)? Can we learn and then act on what we learned? You can bet that just as surely as the sun rises this plot is only the latest and that the next one is already in the formative stages.

For those of you who play basketball you already know this but the real action occurs away from the ball. Don't look at the Communion Partners let's look to whoever is planning the next best thing to overthrow the Episcopal Church. You say, that can't possibly be happening? Read not just the context of those recent e-mails but the tone and the tenor and the tenacity of this group. Then tell me sit down and relax, everything will be all right. We got it all under control -- I see absolutely no evidence of that at all!