THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND THE GIRL SCOUTS

From Bryan Cones at US Catholic:

I suppose this whole thing would be a little comic--the USCCB investigating the Girl Scouts sounds more like an article in The Onion than one in the Associated Press--except for the fact that the Girl Scouts do such great work in helping girls defend themselves from a consumer culture that encourages them to think of themselves as sex objects with credit cards (as we explored in our May issue cover story). The bishops with this move also manage to irritate the last segment of the female population still available to offend: preadolescent girls and teens (having already tweaked both women of childbearing age on contraception, and religious women for whatever it is the sisters have been doing at their annual meetings).

Seriously, some honcho at the USCCB needs to put a stop to this. It looks a little, um, unhinged.

The overreach by the bishops for some sort of nebulous purity within the church begins to look like the spreading madness of an inquisition.  What an embarrassment to thinking Roman Catholics.  Who's next on the bishops' hit list?

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V IS FOR VICTORY

Nevermind the timing, the motivation, the political calculation, or whatever else may have affected his decision, President Obama did the right thing when he announced that he favors same-sex marriage.  Instead of carping, how about if we just take a victory lap?

SCHADENFREUDE PLUS

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Oooh, I love this cartoon.  Alas, I couldn't play the trick on Grandpère, because we have different accounts and different passwords.  He remembers no birthdays nor anniversaries.  According to GP, that's a woman's job.

From Mad Dad to MadPriest.

IGNORE THE ANGLICAN COVENANT AT GENERAL CONVENTION?

Here I am banging on again about the pernicious Anglican Covenant. I'd heard murmurings, which are now more than murmurings, because the talk is now very public, of a move to introduce a resolution at General Convention to ignore the covenant.  Yes, indeed, it's true.  Lionel Diemel says:

One proposed strategy for General Convention is for the church only to affirm our commitment to the Anglican Communion, saying nothing at all about the Anglican Covenant.

Our courageous sisters and brothers in the Church of England, the 'mother' church, faced down the opposition of two archbishops, Rowan Williams and John Sentamu, and 79.79% of the bishops in the church to defeat the covenant in the Church of England.  And yet it is suggested that we in The Episcopal Church ignore the covenant.  I don't understand.

Not only do I see such a resolution as cowardly, but, seconding Lionel Diemel, as arrogant.  The Episcopal Church is often criticized for its individualism, for 'going its own way' without regard for other churches in the Anglican Communion, and such a resolution from GC would only reinforce the opinion that TEC is insufficiently community minded.  As I see it, to ignore the covenant, to pretend that it's not there, would be an insult to all the churches who have taken a stand, whether the vote was to adopt, accede to, subscribe to, give an 'amber light' to, or reject the covenant.  Further, to ignore the covenant would be an affront to all the churches which will declare a position on the covenant in the future.  The proponents of the covenant might very well view ignoring the covenant as worse than rejecting the covenant.

I've heard justifications for the stance of pretending the covenant is not there run the gamut from a desire to stay at the table to a fervent wish to continue in relationship with other churches in the communion.  I want those things, too, and I contend that the concerns are unjustified, especially now that the covenant has been rejected in the Church of England. Is the Church of England still at the table?  Will the Church of England continue in relationships with churches in the communion?  The vote by the English church to reject the covenant is a major game changer.  Shall we also pretend that the rejection didn't happen?

Read our English friend Lay Anglicana, and watch the video posted by Laura, who strove mightily to defeat the Anglican Covenant in England, and see if you still think ignoring the covenant is a viable option.  I could name many other English friends who worked tirelessly to bring down the same odious document that some in TEC will ask the convention to ignore.
 
From Lay Anglicana:

But word reaches me that these good manners may stand in the way of common sense at the TEC General Convention to be held from July 5-12 in Indianapolis: agreeing with me that the current ‘sorry state of things entire’ of the Anglican Covenant is such that it definitely counts as unpleasant, and being unwilling to intrude on private grief,  some say it might be best not to discuss it all, and simply sweep it under the carpet.

Siren voices! Please, fellow Anglicans, do not listen to them! We have managed in the Church of England, diocesan synod by painful diocesan synod, to reject it. But the Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion regards this as merely a little local difficulty. Is he burying his head in the sand like the man in the YouTube video which illustrates this post? That is a matter of opinion.

Hear, hear!

PAUL SIMON - 'SO BEAUTIFUL OR SO WHAT'

So beautiful, indeed.

I’m going to make a chicken gumbo
Toss some sausage in the pot
I’m going to flavor it with okra
Cayenne pepper to make it hot
You know life is what we make of it
So beautiful or so what
....

So beautiful
So beautiful
So what

Thanks to Ann V for sending the video with the message, 'Even Paul Simon was surprised when his latest album turned out to be kinda, sorta...well, Christian.'  'So Beautiful Or So What' is an all-around fine album.  A good many of the lyrics would stand alone as poetry.

GENERAL CONVENTION AND RESTRUCTURING THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

In July, The Episcopal Church will come together at the triennial General Convention 2012, where the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops will gather to set the course of the church for the next three years, until they meet again. Restructuring of the church is on the agenda, and much that is excellent has been written by my fellow bloggers.  Amongst the most recent:

Mark Harris at Preludium - 'The Current State of Affairs....'

Elizabeth Kaeton, at Telling Secrets - 'The Kudzu of Mission Creep'

Tom Ferguson at Crusty Old Dean - 'Guns, Germs, and The Episcopal Church'

Margaret Watson at leave it lay where Jesus flang it 

Tobias Haller at In a Godward Direction

The subject has been well-covered by the bloggers listed above and others, thus I will only add that great change is on the way for the Episcopal Church and other mainline Christian churches in the US.  How will The Episcopal Church meet the changes that will surely come whether we are ready or not?  I am fairly pessimistic about the church as we know it in the short term, but I'm quite optimistic about Church (the Body of Christ) in the long term.

OBAMA - "SAME SEX COUPLES SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MARRIED"

Once Joe Biden made his announcement, I did not think Barack Obama would be far behind.  I doubt that Obama will lose votes because of the announcement.  The great majority of the folks who will be upset, would not have voted for the president anyway.  

 “I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together; when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama told Roberts in an interview to appear on ABC's "Good Morning America" Thursday.

ABOUT THE VOTE IN NORTH CAROLINA

I'll let David@Montreal speak for me about the heartbreaking vote in North Carolina in favor of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

beloved Giants

this morning I'd ask for something equivalent to a group hug for all the folks we know and love in North Carolina.

these folks have been heroic in their witness; and in many cases their stand for justice, sanity and full inclusion has cost them- personally.

tired and discouraged perhaps, I urge them to take the time they need for self-care

but to also remember whatever the figures, they are so much further along the arc of history this morning than they were a week ago.

hearts have been changed, voices have found themselves speaking out and some incredible and unexpected allies have come forward.

but these folks are also our siblings in the Body of Christ, so I'd urge you to carry them in your hearts in the coming days. North Carolina is not over!

love always-always Love

Amen.

UPDATE: A statement from the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, the Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, following the passage of a constitutional amendment, called Amendment One. Find a transcript of this statement, and other related resources, online at the diocesan website.
 



H/T to Torey Lightcap at The Lead.

ASBO JESUS - THINKING PERSON

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From ASBO Jesus.

'PORCELAIN UNICORN' - A FINE SHORT FILM

Legendary British film director Sir Ridley Scott launched a global film making contest for aspiring directors. It's titled "Tell It Your Way". There were over 600 entries. The film could be no longer than three minutes, contain only 6 lines of narrative & be a compelling story. The winner was "Porcelain Unicorn" from American director Keegan Wilcox. It's a story of the lifetimes of two people who are totally opposite, yet, very much the same - all told in less than 3 minutes. I can see why it won - enjoy!

Beautiful work, indeed.  Congratulations to Keegan Wilcox

From Harold Davis at the Television and Motion Picture Network.

Thanks to Doug.