A few days ago, the year 2019 arrived. Despite this being a brand new year, there is still work to be accomplished that is left over from 2018. I’m wondering what you and I planning to do this year in light of the circumstances in which we find ourselves as queerfolk?
There are still eight dioceses in The Episcopal Church where same sex couples cannot get married by a priest of or in property belonging to those dioceses. Some of the eight bishops involved have moved about a quarter inch on the issue….others will still cite Scripture out of context to support their entrenched attitudes. I wonder at times where these guys went to seminary. Did they not learn the origin of Scripture? Did they not learn the ancient languages of Scripture and see how some concepts do not translate into modern English and other concepts didn’t even exist? At what points will these men start being pastors and stop being Pharisees? (Read the Gospels and see how Jesus regarded Pharisees.)
The General Convention of 2018 made it abundantly clear by huge margins that this church, The Episcopal Church, allowed same sex couples to be married in and by the church. There was some weak spined way for some to wiggle out of it…..bishops have problems holding each other accountable. That’s old news….same stunt they tried with the ordination of women.
Turning to the secular for a moment, we are living under a Presidential administration where one hardly knows which end is up at any given moment in time. There are so many distractions and scandals that one wonders if some are not deliberate attempts to focus attention away from real problems and on to an issue or something just for the sake of diversion. How many more days will a substantial part of the Federal Government remain shut down because of a temper tantrum about a wall…..of all things?
Some will immediately say I have gotten political. The reality is that I have not gotten political. I have gotten personal. When the present administration literally tries to erase transgender folks, that isn’t political, it is personal. We all have siblings who will/would be impacted by such a discriminatory action. Trying to ban HIV+ people from the military is equally personal. Wanting to allow discrimination due to sexual orientation because of someone’s “religious beliefs” is equally personal. No, these are not political issues. They are personal issues that impact us directly or impact and harm people we know and love. The majority population, i.e., straight folks, see issues such as these as merely political. They fail to see that the impact is personal and always has been.
So I ask you what you are going to do this year? Will you make your voice heard by the bishops who continue to discriminate against us? Will you point out to them that they are both violating canon law AND violating the baptismal covenant vows they have taken to respect the dignity of every human being? Will you stand with your siblings in Christ as they continue to strive for full inclusion in our church or will you just stand there?
Will you write to those in Congress and/or your state legislatures expressing your thoughts about discrimination and how wrong it is? Will you call or email or go meet with those who would treat us as less than full members of society, paying the same types of taxes as everyone else? Will you remind them that all are to enjoy the full benefit of being a resident of this nation regardless of whether we agree with each other or not? Will you remind them that the rights spelled out in the Bill of Rights apply to us all? Will you remind them that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”should be enjoyed by all and not just those who fit a predefined mold or expression?
What will you do? As Weeza noted to one of her colleagues in “Steel Magnolias” these are NOT difficult questions!
Bruce Garner, Past President
Integrity USA: The Episcopal Rainbow
There are still eight dioceses in The Episcopal Church where same sex couples cannot get married by a priest of or in property belonging to those dioceses. Some of the eight bishops involved have moved about a quarter inch on the issue….others will still cite Scripture out of context to support their entrenched attitudes. I wonder at times where these guys went to seminary. Did they not learn the origin of Scripture? Did they not learn the ancient languages of Scripture and see how some concepts do not translate into modern English and other concepts didn’t even exist? At what points will these men start being pastors and stop being Pharisees? (Read the Gospels and see how Jesus regarded Pharisees.)
The General Convention of 2018 made it abundantly clear by huge margins that this church, The Episcopal Church, allowed same sex couples to be married in and by the church. There was some weak spined way for some to wiggle out of it…..bishops have problems holding each other accountable. That’s old news….same stunt they tried with the ordination of women.
Turning to the secular for a moment, we are living under a Presidential administration where one hardly knows which end is up at any given moment in time. There are so many distractions and scandals that one wonders if some are not deliberate attempts to focus attention away from real problems and on to an issue or something just for the sake of diversion. How many more days will a substantial part of the Federal Government remain shut down because of a temper tantrum about a wall…..of all things?
Some will immediately say I have gotten political. The reality is that I have not gotten political. I have gotten personal. When the present administration literally tries to erase transgender folks, that isn’t political, it is personal. We all have siblings who will/would be impacted by such a discriminatory action. Trying to ban HIV+ people from the military is equally personal. Wanting to allow discrimination due to sexual orientation because of someone’s “religious beliefs” is equally personal. No, these are not political issues. They are personal issues that impact us directly or impact and harm people we know and love. The majority population, i.e., straight folks, see issues such as these as merely political. They fail to see that the impact is personal and always has been.
So I ask you what you are going to do this year? Will you make your voice heard by the bishops who continue to discriminate against us? Will you point out to them that they are both violating canon law AND violating the baptismal covenant vows they have taken to respect the dignity of every human being? Will you stand with your siblings in Christ as they continue to strive for full inclusion in our church or will you just stand there?
Will you write to those in Congress and/or your state legislatures expressing your thoughts about discrimination and how wrong it is? Will you call or email or go meet with those who would treat us as less than full members of society, paying the same types of taxes as everyone else? Will you remind them that all are to enjoy the full benefit of being a resident of this nation regardless of whether we agree with each other or not? Will you remind them that the rights spelled out in the Bill of Rights apply to us all? Will you remind them that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”should be enjoyed by all and not just those who fit a predefined mold or expression?
What will you do? As Weeza noted to one of her colleagues in “Steel Magnolias” these are NOT difficult questions!
Bruce Garner, Past President
Integrity USA: The Episcopal Rainbow
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