Church Of England To Allow Women Bishops

Thinking Anglicans provides the resolution, which after two amendments reads:

That this Synod:

(a) affirm that the wish of its majority is for women to be admitted to the episcopate;
(b) affirm its view that special arrangements be available, within the existing structures of the Church of England, for those who as a matter of theological conviction will not be able to receive the ministry of women as bishops or priests;
(c) affirm that these should be contained in a statutory national code of practice to which all concerned would be required to have regard; and
(d) instruct the legislative drafting group, in consultation with the House of Bishops, to complete its work accordingly, including preparing the first draft of a code of practice, so that the Business Committee can include first consideration of the draft legislation in the agenda for the February 2009 group of sessions.

Alleluia! Thanks be to God!

Via the Episcopal Café. Thanks to Ann for the tip.

Waterboarding Is Torture

Over the past several years, I have disagreed with Christopher Hitchens on many occasions, especially in his support of the Iraq War. When the situation in Iraq turned very bad, he continued to defend the decision to go to war, saying only that the aftermath of the invasion had been catastrophically bungled. On the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war, he insisted that the invasion was the right thing to do:

From The Australian:

We were already deeply involved in the life and death struggle of that country, and March 2003 happens to mark the only time that we decided to intervene, after a protracted and open public debate, on the right side and for the right reasons. This must, and still does, count for something.

Our opinions on the Iraq War, as yet, diverge, but I now find myself in agreement with Hitchens in another matter. He has voluntarily submitted to having himself waterboarded, and here is his account:

Here he is in Vanity Fair:

Here is the most chilling way I can find of stating the matter. Until recently, “waterboarding” was something that Americans did to other Americans. It was inflicted, and endured, by those members of the Special Forces who underwent the advanced form of training known as sere (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape). In these harsh exercises, brave men and women were introduced to the sorts of barbarism that they might expect to meet at the hands of a lawless foe who disregarded the Geneva Conventions. But it was something that Americans were being trained to resist, not to inflict.
....

You may have read by now the official lie about this treatment, which is that it “simulates” the feeling of drowning. This is not the case. You feel that you are drowning because you are drowning—or, rather, being drowned, albeit slowly and under controlled conditions and at the mercy (or otherwise) of those who are applying the pressure. The “board” is the instrument, not the method. You are not being boarded. You are being watered.

You may have noticed that the title of his piece is "Believe Me, It’s Torture". I think we must believe him and the others who say that it is not "simulated" drowning, but actual drowning, from which you may be revived - or not, when things go terribly wrong. But then, a procedure like this is terribly wrong and shameful when sanctioned and put into operation by any country that calls itself civilized. I am told that the decision to allow waterboarding came from the very highest levels of government.

A Message From +Gene Robinson

OFF TO ENGLAND AND THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE

Later today, I leave for England and the Lambeth Conference. I am writing to you to 1) ask for your prayers, 2) to let you know how you can keep up with the goings-on in England, and my reflections on them, and 3) to assure you that I will be taking you in my heart everywhere I go.

YOUR PRAYERS:

First, pray for the Lambeth Conference of Bishops, the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury, that the bonds of affection that bind us together might be strengthened and that God's will might be discerned as we struggle to be the Church in the 21st century. Pray especially for the Episcopal Church's bishops attending the Lambeth Conference, that we might greet our brother and sister bishops with grace and hospitality and be ready to learn what they have to teach us.

Then, please pray for me. Because the Archbishop of Canterbury chose to exclude me from the Lambeth Conference, I will need to be intentional about creating opportunities for interacting with bishops and spouses from around the Anglican Communion. Pray that God might open up those opportunities for conversation and open my heart for mutual learning.

Because of controversy surrounding my attendance, and the incessant press coverage which will undoubtedly insert itself, pray that God might keep me grounded in the Spirit of love, forgiveness and compassion.

Because of threats against my life that have already begun, pray that God might keep me (and those who have been hired to protect me) safe, and return me home to you.

During this whole time, I'll be praying with the Franciscan brothers and sisters at Greyfriars, in Canterbury. Join me in giving thanks for their hospitality and witness.


SPECIFIC DATES ON WHICH TO PRAY:

Some of you have asked for particular dates and particular events for which I would desire your prayers:

Thursday, July 10: I will be speaking at the Modern Churchperson's Union conference (along with former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, the Primate of Wales, and several African bishops).

Sunday, July 13: I will be preaching at St. Mary's, Putney (just across the Thames from London, in the Diocese of Southwark). This will be the only time I'm allowed to preach while in England.

Monday, July 14: British premiere of the documentary "For the Bible Tells Me So," in Queen Elizabeth Hall, at the South Bank Centre for the Arts. I will be appearing with Daniel Karslake, the filmmaker, and Shakespearean actor (and Lord of the Rings star) Sir Ian McKellen. This event will be a fund-raiser for AIDS work in Africa.

Wednesdays, July 23 and 30: American bishops will be hosting two "Come meet our brother bishop Gene" evenings, open only to bishops and spouses. I will be "introduced" by several clergy and lay leaders from NH in a little DVD we've made for the event. Then I'll have a chance to engage bishops from around the Communion and tell them about the work of the Gospel here in NH.

August 3-6, I'll be preaching and speaking in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland, as guest of the Church that gave us bishops some 200+ years ago.

KEEPING UP WITH MY GOINGS-ON

I will be writing a daily blog called Canterbury Tales from the Fringe:

I will also be doing a daily VIDEO blog for Claiming the Blessing, called The Lambeth Gene Pool:

As I leave for Lambeth, know that I am so grateful for all your love and support. This promises to be a demanding and difficult time, but I go with the knowledge that we are living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ here in New Hampshire, in the spirit of infinite respect and radical hospitality. Thank you, my dear and beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, for your love and for your prayers.

+Gene

Thanks to a reader Yankee Fan At Fenway at her new blog, Holy Foolishness, for calling this to my attention.

Eat Your Mondegreens

No, they're not edible, unless you like eating words.

"Mondegreen" is newly included in Merriam-Webster's latest edition of its dictionary. Although it is frequently mentioned on the internet, now you may use it in "Scrabble".

mondegreen
Main Entry:
mon·de·green
Pronunciation:
\ˈmän-də-ˌgrēn\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
from the mishearing in a Scottish ballad of “laid him on the green” as “Lady Mondegreen”
Date:
1954

: a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung <“very close veins” is a mondegreen for “varicose veins”>

Other words among the 100 new words included are "edamame" (immature green soybeans) and "pescatarian" (a vegetarian who eats fish).

Here's a short list of 20 of the added words:

# 1. agnolotti
# 2. Bollywood
# 3. chaebol
# 4. crunk
# 5. DVR
# 6. flex-cuff
# 7. ginormous
# 8. gray literature
# 9. hardscape
# 10. IED
# 11. microgreen
# 12. nocebo
# 13. perfect storm
# 14. RPG
# 15. smackdown
# 16. snowboardcross
# 17. speed dating
# 18. sudoku
# 19. telenovela
# 20. viewshed

The present wars have given us a few new words to do with weaponry. I know the meanings of some of the words in the list, others I don't. I have an appointment that I must rush off to, so I leave it to you to look up the definitions of those that interest you.

The Other Side Of Jim

The infamous Jim of the Vitter video (see below) repented, and he's now morphed into the good Jim with the video above. It's on his other blog, My Bossier. Since I linked to his wickedness, I'd thought I'd do penance, too, and post the good Jim's video, which is appropriate, since today is the Lord's Day. It's good, isn't it? He's a fellow Louisianian, so you'd better agree with me.

I can't, for the life of me, understand how anyone can keep more than one blog going. I'm overwhelmed by my one.

The Worst Day Of My Life

A little guy is sitting at the bar just staring at his drink for half an hour when this big trouble-making biker steps next to him, grabs his drink, gulps it down in one swig and then turns to the guy with a menacing stare as if to say, "What'cha gonna do about it?"

The poor little guy starts crying. "Come on man I was just giving you a hard time," the biker says. "I didn't think you'd CRY. I can't stand to see a man crying."

"This is the worst day of my life," says the little guy between sobs. "I can't do anything right. I overslept and was late to an important meeting, so my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car was stolen and I don't have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed with the gardener and my dog bit me. So I came to this bar trying to work up the courage to put an end to my life, and then you show up and drink the damn poison."

Credit due, Doug.

A Vitter Video

Are y'all tired of hearing about our Louisiana politicians? Well, it ain't over yet, folks, because they just won't quit making fools of themselves. My clever blogger friend from the North, (Louisiana, that is) Jim, at JindalWatch has put together a video that's wicked and funny. What more can you ask for? I warn you: it's baaaad.

"The Tracks Of My Tears" - For A Friend

You know who you are, my friend.

Au Revoir, Zoe

On July 4, I received this email from Roger/Lapinbizarre along with a picture of Zoe.

The current problem, however, is my old chow Zoe, the last of the dogs I have raised from a puppy. Her very uncertain legs gave out on her two nights ago and there is no sensible option to "putting her down". She barked almost non stop for 18 hours from yesterday morning - annoyance and some fear, I suppose, at not being able to get up. She's also nearasdammitt blind. But she's quieter today. Thanksgiving (sic) gives her a 24 hours respite, but I will have to take care of things sooner rather than later. Her brother lost the use of his back legs three or four years ago. We let him hang on for a couple of months in hopes that he would regain it (he was younger and had had surgery for a problem which might, with determination on his part, have been turned around) but he did not. A half-paralyzed dog, with the best will in the world, turns into an unhappy, messy creature - rashes, bedsores, etc. No point in putting the poor girl through that.

The picture is Zoe in better days. I responded that Zoe looked like a lioness.

Roger answered:

She was indeed a lioness - and she has kept he looks; her hair is as full today as it ever was - far fuller than in the photograph - and not a gray hair on her at 13 1/2 ( very good age for a chow). She was the only living thing who, when I pitched a fit about anything, would come to me and sit by me while everything else, two and four-legged, took to the hills. I called her my "still, small voice of calm".

And then today:

She was in a weary, agitated state over night so I took her to the vet's first thing this morning. The vet agreed that it was time, so we proceeded from there. I brought some pieces of roast pork that I fed to her as a "last supper" - her appetite was intact - before and as the anaesthetic was administered, and I left when it had taken effect, before the lethal injection. I'm getting the ashes back and plan to bury her and her brother - four years dead but still in a dresser drawer at a friends' house in the country, with their highland cattle, llamas, donkeys, pigs and goats. In the city they'd be dug up and scattered within years.

So far I'm feeling better than expected. The anaesthetic stage was slow (three or four minutes) and gentle, so I got to pet her as she slowly went to sleep.

It seems Zoe had a gentle going. I offer my prayers and sympathy to Roger. It's so hard to let the dear ones go.

It's Time To Come Clean

The subterfuge is over. See that picture on the sidebar? That one is no longer operative. I am not really who I said I was. All this time I've been misleading you, and I am sorry, my friends.

Watch the video, and you will see the real me and find out about the exciting things happening in my life now.

Doug convinced me that it was time to tell the truth.

UPDATE: Here's the replacement picture of me, which will soon go up on the sidebar.