GC09 Reaches Far Beyond....

From the LA Times:

With a little more than 2 million members, the Episcopal Church of the United States is far from being the country's largest Christian denomination. But its recent pronouncements indicating support for openly gay bishops and church blessings for same-sex couples will have reverberations beyond that church, beyond Christianity and even beyond religion. For all the theological issues it raises, acceptance of gays and lesbians at the altar reflects -- and affects -- the campaign for equality in the larger society.

Well, we know that we're not the biggest, but we can hope that the actions taken in Anaheim have a positive effect on justice and equality for gays and lesbians in this country and around the world.

In a society that has accepted women as judges, chief executive officers and university presidents, the absence of women at the altar will strike the man -- and woman -- in the pew as increasingly incongruous. The influence works both ways: A young girl who sees a woman presiding over the most sacred rituals of her faith will wonder why there is still resistance to full participation by her gender in earthly activities. A devout gay teenager who is confirmed by a homosexual bishop will be less likely to doubt his worth when confronted with bigotry and bullying at school.

Yes. Exactly. The young lesbian girl might say to herself, "Why would anyone say that I can't do that?" The devout gay teenager would be confirmed and affirmed as a gay young man, beloved of God.

Why does anyone other than members of the Episcopal Church and, perhaps, members of other religious bodies pay attention to the activities of a small denomination?

Still, it's not surprising that the controversy in the Anglican Communion has riveted observers who never have darkened the door of a church. It isn't just that the dispute about homosexuality influences and informs similar debates in developed countries, including Britain and the United States. There is also a global dimension to the controversy.

And the coup de grâce.

The strides made by the Episcopal Church thus are especially significant, and especially commendable, because they occur against a backdrop of both cultural and religious resistance. Supporters of Proposition 8 weren't the only ones to cloak prejudice with piety.

The editorial is well-done. Whoever wrote it understands what happened in Anaheim.

H/T to JB Chilton at The Lead