Loving Versus Virginia And Gay Marriage

Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving

From Anna Quindlen in Newsweek:

Opponents will scream that the issue should be put to the people, as it was in Arizona, Florida and California. (Arkansas had a different sort of measure, forbidding unmarried couples from adopting or serving as foster parents. This will undoubtedly have the effect of leaving more kids without stable homes. For shame.) Of course if the issue in Loving had been put to the people, there is no doubt that many would have been delighted to make racial intermarriage a crime. That's why God invented courts.
....

The last word here goes to an authority on battling connubial bigotry. On the anniversary of the Loving decision last year, the bride wore tolerance. Mildred Loving, mother and grandmother, who once had cops burst into her bedroom because she was sleeping with her own husband, was quoted in a rare public statement saying she believed all Americans, "no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry." She concluded, "That's what 'Loving' and loving are all about."

Yes, Mildred. We hear you. What an appropriate name for such a decision. The opponents of gay marriage use many of the same excuses as the opponents of mixed race marriages, but the excuses won't work forever. The sunny day is coming for gay marriage, "don't know where, don't know when", as the old song goes, but it will come.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Church Of England Can't Sign The Covenant?

From the Episcopal Café via Thinking Anglicans:

"Note this response from the Secretary General of the Church of England to a written question from a Synod member:"

Mr Justin Brett (Oxford) to ask the Secretary General:

Q2. What research has been undertaken to establish the effect of the Church of England’s participation in an Anglican Communion Covenant upon the relationship between the Church of England and the Crown, given the Queen’s position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and the consequent tension between her prerogative and the potential demands of a disciplinary process within the proposed Covenant?

Mr William Fittall to reply as Secretary General:

A. The Church of England response of 19 December 2007 to the initial draft Covenant noted on page 13 that ‘it would be unlawful for the General Synod to delegate its decision making powers to the primates, and that this therefore means that it could not sign up to a Covenant which purported to give the primates of the Communion the ability to give ‘direction’ about the course of action that the Church of England should take.’ The same would be true in relation to delegation to any other body of the Anglican Communion. Since as a matter of law the Church of England could not submit itself to any such external power of direction, any separate possible difficulties in relation to the Royal Prerogative could not in practice arise.

If I read this opinion correctly, the Church of England cannot sign away its authority to the primates of the Anglican Communion. This seems nearly incredible, because I can't believe that the Archbishop of Canterbury could have overlooked this. I hope, with all my heart, that it is true. I wondered, with the reigning monarch as head of the Church of England, if the British Parliament and the consent of the Queen would be required before the C of E could sign the Covenant.

I never liked the idea of the Covenant at all, no matter what the wording. We have the New Covenant of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Baptismal Covenant. Why do we need another Covenant? Would the Design Covenant Group come up with something vital that is lacking in the two covenants we have?

The commentary at EC and TA are both worth reading. My favorite is at TA, "Thank God for the Crown."

Did You Know...?

The Great Cloud of Questionable Witnesses

Bishop Clumber, the one true bishop of the real Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, writes icons. I did not know that. Above is one of a series of three four icons. It is exquisite, no? I believe he surpasses even Tobias with his masterpieces.

+Clumber is a dog. I know that it may be difficult for many humans to accept that a member of the canine species produces such beauty, but it's true. +Clumber successfully fought his way to acceptance as the one true bishop of Pittsburgh, and I hope the path to recognition of his genius as an iconographer is easier. If you go to +Clumber's site, Barkings of an Old Dog, you will find the other icons in the series.

It's difficult not to succumb to the sin of pride at being included in the series and depicted with such eminent notables, but I'm trying very hard not to let it go to my head.

They're Not Going Away

From the Times-Picayune:

The Republican Party's return to power depends on staying anchored in traditional anti-abortion and pro-family policies, while making inroads among Hispanics with enlightened immigration rules, a leading conservative figure said Tuesday in New Orleans.

And the four-year process of finding the next GOP leader starts now, as potential stars, including Govs. Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin, hit the speaking circuit to collect political IOUs and test themselves on the stump, said Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Others expected to make the rounds include former governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

"You'll note there's not a pro-choice Republican among them," Land said.

Land, a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, was back at his alma mater in Gentilly on Tuesday to preach and to teach a graduate school class on the intersection of faith and politics.

A graduate of Princeton and Oxford as well, Land is the public spokesman for Southern Baptist values both to the masses via CNN and to Beltway insiders who shape campaigns and public policy.

In the weeks since Barack Obama's election, conservatives have opened a vigorous debate over their future. Some advocate a return to ideological purity; others argue that they must shift to the center to build a winning coalition with social and economic moderates.

Land's office is the public policy arm of the 16 million member Southern Baptist Convention. These folks are not going away. Through groups like Land's, they get a forum on CNN and, no doubt, access to politicians on the local and national level.

I read a bit on their website about the role of women in public life. It seems that women are permitted to serve in positions of power in public office, but in the church and in the home, they must serve under the authority of men.

Not everyone agrees that a woman's place is outside the home. I found this wonderfully contorted logic in the comments to the article on the role of women in public life:

With Palin and others who serve the public as a ‘Christian evangelical’ figure, are we going to affirm her in abandoning her family roles? I haven’t heard a single person say that they think Palin can be a biblical mother and wife while being VP (and possibly Pres.). I believe that to be the crux of Voddie’s message. We are being hypocritical as evangelicals if we affirm a woman’s role in the home, but support removing women from that role. You can’t have it both ways.

That being said, I’m voting for Palin. (not so much McCain)

But it seems that he will have it both ways. Delicious.

Old Fat Naked Women For Peace

Thanks to Ann.

Old Intertubes Is Out

Mark Begich(D) defeated convicted criminal Ted Stevens(R) in the Alaska race for the Senate. Old Intertubes is out. That can only be good. Even if he had won, he probably would have been expelled from the Senate, and Sarah Palin could have run for the seat. Besides, Mark is a lot better looking.

Bush Fading Away

Thanks to Lisa at My Manner of Life via Tom Woodward.

Odds And Ends Around The House

My new friend Georgianne, who lifted me to minor and short-lived celebrity status, labeled the room where we sat for our Huffington Post interview as my "cozy kitschy, kitchen". Or should I say "kozy, kitschy, kitchen"? I had thought of my decorating style as rather traditional and dated, but as I looked around at my house with new eyes, I saw variations on that theme.


In my living room I found the red and gold fringed footstool, which flips over to all gold, and the silk, tasseled and mirrored pillows from India. Not kitschy exactly, more late nineteenth century house of ill repute style, I'd say. What I was aiming for, I can't remember, but I liked them.


What to say of the arrangement on the dining room table? The bowl and contents, including brass pears and leaves, but excepting the grapes, cost about $8.00 at a moving sale at a local antique store. The grapes cost $15.00. They're made of marble, and are quite realistic, but they are the heaviest grapes I've ever held. The arrangement looks gay to me, but correct me if I'm wrong, my gay brothers.

 

The photograph of Rodin's "The Kiss", a sculpture which I love, came from the Rodin museum in Paris. I've loved that statue from the first time I saw a picture of it, and I was thrilled the first time I saw the real statue. To me, it's sensuous and innocent at the same time.

When my granddaughter was quite young, maybe four, she noted the picture and said, "They're naked." I said, "Yes. That's art." I didn't know what else to say.

 

The beaded lampshade is a mild example of house of ill repute, perhaps not worthy of the label, because of the smallness of the beads. Of more interest is the Princess phone on the table, a burgeoning antique. They last forever.

 

Finally, the beaded fruit in a quite conventional bowl. You can't hide it. I see your thought balloons: "20th century bad taste" - a thought which you may, or may not, apply to any or all of the above.

Here you have a rare ("House and Garden" or "HGTV" style) glimpse into the household of Mimi and Grandpère. I haven't shown you our many duck pictures, Grandpère's contributions to our decorating style. Those, along with his collection of old duck decoys, once led a visitor to look around and say, "What this place needs is some ducks!" I suspect that the house make-over folks from "HGTV" would love to get their hands on our house.

Joe Won't Go

From TPM:

Senator Harry Reid just spoke to reporters after the private caucus meeting with Dems over Joe Lieberman's fate, and he confirmed it: Lieberman will not be stripped of his Homeland Security chairmanship, because the "vast majority" of the Democratic caucus wants him to stay.

"This was not a time for retribution," Reid said, quoting an unnamed Senator. We're "moving forward," Reid added.

Lieberman was removed from the Environment and Public Works Committee, a largely meaningless punishment, a committee where (unlike Homeland Security) he has no differences with Dems.

Asked about liberal "anger" towards Lieberman, Reid said: "I pretty well understand anger. I would defy anyone to be more angry than I was."

But he added: "If you will look at the problems that we face as a nation, is this a time we walk out of here saying boy did we get even?"

Sen. Reid, I was angry with Joe, very angry. To me, the Senate vote was not about getting even; it was about consequences for the vicious and stupid words he spoke about the Democratic candidate during the campaign. I expect the vote was secret because some of the senators are ashamed of their votes.

Democratic senators, this was wrong, just plain wrong. You still don't get it.

"No Comment"

I awoke this morning to a History Channel "retread" documentary on New Guinea informing me that there are or were communities on that island where the men and women speak completely different languages. No comment.

From Lapin.