Lambeth Focused on Bishop Robinson
There's the woman in the short, red dress who brought on her own rape because she dressed provocatively. Or any number of black men in the south who had to be lynched because they got uppity. Martin Luther King, Jr. got plenty of advice from helpful white folk about how he could help his movement by keeping a lower profile and upsetting fewer of those fine people. And, of course, there are any number of caring, sensitive non-homophobes who have nothing against gay people if only we wouldn't keep shoving it down their throats [!]. Need I mention the so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and its overt scapegoating?
It's fascinating, albeit tiresome, how bullies always look for someone to blame for their own shortcomings.
And now there's Bishop Gene Robinson, of New Hampshire. You remember him: the seven-headed fifteen-foot tall fire-breathing dragon in the purple robes? Well, mild-mannered Gene, since he is widely recognized as the cause of the possible Anglican schism that may be happening even now by the African bishops and their embarrassing American hangers-on who are actually doing the apoplectic bullying, was not invited to the Lambeth Conference.
The Lambeth Conference, you recall, is a small do for Anglican bishops that happens once every ten years and to which all bishops come — except that Bishop Gene was uninvited. The spineless "leader" of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, seemed to think that by uninviting Bishop Gene, rather than uninviting the blood-thirsty mob who's been heckling Robinson and panting for schism, he could quell the blood-lust and contain the wild fire of schism. The word "appeasement" has been much in the news recently for being so widely misunderstood and misapplied, but this might be a reason to put it back to use in headlines.
Williams' strategy hasn't worked, and he should have known it wouldn't work. (The ever entertaining and wise Archbishop Desmond Tutu has made some remarks.) Bullies bully because that's what they like to do, appeasement never coaxes the genii back into the bottle, and besides, it was wrong. One could try to claim that Williams had a doubly devious strategy in which he announced that he would uninvite Robinson and set off the firestorm in which the braying pack of schism-hyenas would confirm to the world the homophobic bullies they are–but I think that probably gives Williams too much credit for deep strategic thinking.
Speaking frankly as the atheist observer, it's all mildly amusing. I have no good reason to try to cheer on the Anglican Communion by offering good advice, but if I thought Archbishop Williams were listening I'd call for him to reverse his position, lead for a change, and do the right thing. Stiff upper lip, and all. Then, when he did, I would take credit for it
Doing the right thing is hard to do, but we know this because, otherwise, everyone would be doing it.
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on Sunday, 27 July 2008 at 10.14
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it's not actually a "small do". There are about 600 bishops, and about the same number of hangers-on: staff, volunteers, stewards, press and exhibitors (identified by colour of ID badge lanyard: purple for bishops/spouses/members; then in order red, yellow, green, blue and white). I'm here in Canterbury wearing my white lanyard (translates to "below the salt"), part of the Inclusive Church delegation.
further reports when things slow down
on Wednesday, 30 July 2008 at 19.42
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further update:
although I don't normally keep a blog of my own, the five of us are collectively blogging as we are at Lambeth:
canadacanterbury.blogspot.com
It all winds up on the weekend, after 2 weeks. Tomorrow (thursday 31) is Sex Day, when the discussions are about sexuality. Stay tuned.
on Wednesday, 30 July 2008 at 23.29
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Thanks, Chris, for the link to the Lambeth blog and for keeping an eye on things there for us. I did realize that the do was not "small" but I was in the mood for a rhetorical device. I can't wait to hear what happens on "sex day"!
on Thursday, 31 July 2008 at 00.46
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I can see it now. The bishops and their wives arranged separately on either side of the "big top" as they were for their joint session yesterday, and then, at a signal (from Rowan? Gene? the Integrity delegation?) wild sex happening in the separate groups. "Sex day" indeed. Closed to the media, of course. The prose would be simply too purple for words!