Thursday, February 8, 2007

To Rid the American Continent of the Episcopal Church

Scott at Mad Hare links to this article at The Christian Post.

Lay Episcopalians for the Anglican Communion (LEAC) urged for a new orthodox Anglican structure in North America that would operate independently from the worldwide Anglican body until the Communion formally rids the American continent of the Episcopal Church and charters a reliable replacement province for orthodox Anglicans.

I know nothing about The Christian Post, nor do I know anything about this group, but in the comments at Scott's site, I wrote this:

Do you think that this is a hint for those in TEC to be beheaded like Thomas Becket?

Henry II, from A Man for All Seasons: "Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"


Of course, I'm joking, but the words of Henry II did pop into my mind, as they did into Scott's mind. There's no doubt they want to be rid of us.

UPDATE: Rick Allen in the comments tells me this:

...it was Henry II who had (perhaps inadvertently) St. Thomas Becket killed in the 12th century, not by beheading by sword blows to the head.

He is correct. It's my history mistake. Sorry about that.

7 comments:

  1. Mimi, I am sorry to play the pedant, but, remember, it was Henry II who had (perhaps inadvertently) St. Thomas Becket killed in the 12th century, not by beheading by sword blows to the head. Henry VIII had St. Thomas More beheaded in the 16th century, as dramatized in the play and movie, "A Man for All Seasons."

    The parallels in the names, and to some extent, to the sources of the conflict, understandably sometime lead to confusion between the two incidents.

    As to the Episcopal Church, just as there'll always be an England, I have no doubt it will outlive the current troubles.

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  2. And Mimi, it's now real clear that the conservatives want to be rid of all traces of moderate as well as liberal thinking within the Anglican world. This appears to be a full scale coup attempt, bigger than taking back the colonies. It is all sad, but we must endeavor to have hope. The little voices of the Virtue/Standfirm world have emboldened this part of the church into thinking that they will be stronger by themselves than they are with everyone. Next week will require nerves and spine aplenty to call the bluffs of the combined "purists"...

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  3. RicK, so kind of you to set me straight.

    Clumber, "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

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  4. Some days I get so darned mad about all of this that I forget to look for the hand of God in it --- but I'm sure it's there. Of one thing I'm certain: God has given us Bishop Katherine to see us through it. It's sexist I suppose to say it, but I'm not sure even a most extraordinary male could do it.

    My granddaddy always said (and you've heard it from others), what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. I've found that to be true (although I've often whined about it).

    And my Amish neighbors (bless them), when faced with improbable odds and painful situations, say simply "God's ways are not our ways," then praise Him, confident they'll be cared for.

    I expect The Episcopal Church to emerge from this and perhaps other trials ahead a bit leaner, much tougher, full of grace and better equipped to do God's work.

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  5. I expect The Episcopal Church to emerge from this and perhaps other trials ahead a bit leaner, much tougher, full of grace and better equipped to do God's work.

    Frank, I expect you are right. And he did give us Bishop Katharine, a woman for the season.

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  6. Scourge the land of the Episcopal church? Hadn't they better ask the laity, first? I mean, when all is said and done, church is still a voluntary organization. If I don't like one, I'm free to attend another.

    Such arrogance would be laughable if it weren't so damaging. In the long run, it's a joke. In the short term, however, it leads to Truro and Falls Church, and that article Mad Priest cited recently, with people already feeling led astray by those who told them to vote to leave (leave TEC, that is).

    This is the same dynamic often seen in churches where a small faction decides to exercise their "power" and drive off the pastor or priest. Once done, those who knew nothing of the effort are amazed at what has happened, and those who were promised a "new day" in their church, find themselves dispirited and wondering why what they agreed to feels so bad, now.

    Damage, in other words, is done; and the healing of it is slow.

    So damage, I fear, will be done. So be it, if those determined to do it think is needs must be done. But drive TEC out of the country? For their next trick, they will stop the tide from coming in, I suppose.

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  7. Rmj, I suppose I will go to my grave naive, but it's their provocative language that is absolutely shocking to me.

    It reminds me of George W. Bush's statement of his desire to "rid the world of evil".

    The words are stupid and arrogant and - well, I could go on and on.

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