Bumped [Diocese of Georgia] LGBT Episcopalians meet with their new, inclusive Bishop

Jesus, I pray that the eyes of all of these folks to are opened to their sin, Your love and peace that passes understanding.  Amen.

[A]s we all have noticed, the more “inclusive” a diocese or parish gets in TEC, the smaller it becomes.

No, no, no.  It’s not called ‘getting smaller.’  It’s called being a prophetic witness.  You and your ilk are like those who said “This is a hard saying.  Who can receive it?”  You walk away to your own detriment.  We, on the other hand, have the words of life.  To whom else will you turn? 

progressive carl

Oh yeah. St John’s Savannah - are you awake yet?

Notice of further upcoming “inclusion”:

Integrity members recommitted to the goal of preparing a listing of welcoming churches/congregations and having it posted on the diocesan web page.

Of course there will be first subtle pressure followed by overt intimidation to congregations/clergy not on the list to get with the program.  Stubborn holdouts will find their clergy inhibited indefinitely under the new disciplinary canons, to be replaced by GLBT priests in charge and their parishes reduced to mission status on the way to closing and selling the property.  Straight from the playbook.

Actually, it’s called ‘sinning’ in the eyes of 99.99% of the world’s Christians, Jews, and Muslims, Carl, and virtually all societies condemn it.  “Progressive?”  Only in the eyes of those whose agenda is to impose the acceptance of their lifestyle on everyone else.  If you want to live that way, fine….but don’t try to to tell us that we have to accept it; we don’t.

I can’t wait to see pictures of the “diversity stole.”
I am confident that there will be some excitingly progressive resolutions at their next convention.

Re: Carl
If you were only in seminary today, you would be made to understand that “growth” does not necessarily mean “growth in numbers.”  This is repeated over and over again every time new ASA numbers are released!  Geeez

Reads like Wodehouse, Bertram (Bertie) Wilberforce Wooster, Jeeves standing by, would utter (about Jeeves),“If the call comes, he can buttle with the best of them.”  Then we could have the good Deacon Tybee of Adkins upon Rincon Ilse, or The Ilse of Rincon acting Tybee, or whom or wherever dismiss….

OOOHHHHH! Pardon! I forgot Rainbow sashes across ample bosoms for all! Now it’s a proper tea party!!

“...including 4 clergy and 5 first timers…”—- “First timers at WHAT!!!!

This is fun!

“a blueberry cheesecake made by Integrity member and Albany PFLAG coordinator”  There is PFLAG in my cake! That can’t be good!

“Lively discussion centered on moving our diocese toward the goal of full inclusion by our own “faith and practice”, by being out, proud and involved in our congregations and communities.”

Why is it that Proverbs 16:18 always jumps into my head when I read about one or another “church” group being “proud”? Especially as part of their “faith and practice. Could it be that humility might be more appropriate?

Part of the mission statement of my present SC parish is a belief in growth because “healthy things grow.” This apparently is not taught in seminary.

Pb,
I can assure you it is not.

But the good bishop will have nothing to do with Anglicans who have “violated tradition” or the “virulent fundametalists” who make up the great majority of the folks in the pew. DGA is in trouble.

“LGBT Episcopalians meet with their new, inclusive Bishop…”

My family watches a lot of sports, and when you hobnob only with what you believe is the winning team, you are known as a “frontrunner”...one can easily be a frontrunner(nothing is ever challenging), but the same one is usually a loser in everything else.  C’est la vie—

I wonder about “...and what our unique gifts might be.’

The capability of throwing a fabulous cocktail party at the drop of a [picture] hat? No, some breeders can do that too.

A unique ability to communicate the Gospel of Our Lord in new ways. Dubious. VERY dubious.

Perhaps they refer to their unique personal practices, which to most normal people are disgusting, and which our God has defined as sin.

It’s so sad.

Pewster # 6

Go to the link above, and click on the “Gallery” tab at the top.  I think you’ll find what you’re looking for and a great deal of other equally disturbing photos from some of the Pride events.

[5] cennydd13

I suppose I should take some responsibility for my Evil Twin.  He is after all the result of my unfortunate experimentation with Thinking Anglicans.  To understand the other, one must become the other, and so I used Thinking Anglicans to develop the syrum.  By this means I have enabled myself to become progressive at will.  Unfortunately, the progressive metamorphosis has now become involuntary at infrequent intervals, leading me to wonder if shall soon need the syrum to revert to my friendly affable conservative self.

In any case, progressive carl must be read carefully, for he bears my own character flaws.  He will speak in the open those things that other progressives might prefer to keep hidden.  Watch for those small revelations.  For though he may seek to hyde them, he will always fail.  I must take some more syrum.  At the moment, I feel a great desire to remove gender-specific language from Scripture…

carl

[19] “Hyde” them.

carl, you’ve got to stop shape-shifting like that.  It scares the horses.

It would seem that this bishop has now declared his diocese to be an ACNA mission field. I don’t think they are in good financial shape as it is. Spiritually, I don’t know Of course, the things promised here haven’t happened yet. Maybe the Standing Committee, faithful clergy and laity can hold it back.

“Integrity agreed to speak…” What happened to the listening process? Oh, that’s right, they speak, we listen. Got it!

I am a Very Bad Person. I know this because the instant I read this sentence “A diversity stole was presented to Bishop Benhase from the membership”, the first thought that leapt to mind was “Will this be another entry for Christopher Johnson’s Bad Vestments blog?”

Obligatory disclaimer: I know nothing about the diocese of Georgia, the bishop, nor any of their troubles, and have no axe to grind with the good people there.

Without knowing anything about the “bishop” or Integrity, you would know these folks are all revisionists just from the menu-

healthy lunch of various salads, cookies, beverages, topped off with a blueberry cheesecake

Now, what self respecting Piskie bishop serves up a meal with no main course? This menu goes right from salad to dessert. 
You would think that the bishop would go along with the traditional Episcopalians in the diocese if only to get proper luncheons at the country club.

I hope that the cookies and cheesecake were indeed low fat, nutritious, and otherwise healthful.  At least then the reporting would be honest.

From the Trinity website:

“And, along with Anglicans around the globe, we at Trinity Episcopal Church hold the traditional faith of Christians through the ages.”

Either this church is suffering a reappraising invasion (priest in charge?), or that is real whopper. IMHO, sounds like “unfair and deceptive acts or practices in commerce.” 

Well, speaking of “first-timers” at the inclusivity event, I went to the website and looked at the photo gallery.  I wondered about the new Bishop and his clothing protocol.  Every bishop I know, whether Roman Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian—when not wearing his pectoral cross upon his chest near his heart, puts the cross into his LEFT pocket, which is the one over his heart.  The photo of Bishop Benhase, standing with his wife, shows that something hanging from a chain is in his RIGHT pocket.  So perhaps the brand-new, inclusive Bishop does not know where to put his cross, when not wearing it outside on his chest.  Or perhaps the brand-new inclusive Bishop was wearing something else
on a chain: a whistle perhaps?  Maybe a stopwatch?  Or, and my last thought, you know how sometimes you criticize someone for a statement they have made, but you end by saying, “Oh well, his heart is in the right place…”  Well, now I am wondering if perhaps the new inclusive Bishop’s heart is NOT in the right place, physically I mean…could his heart be on the right side of his body?  How does he salute our precious flag?
Inquiring minds wish to know….

#27 Francie,

It might be code: like having a single ear ring in either the left or right ear or something like that.

The Good Bishop may not be as inclusive as he thinks.  For example, in addition to the standard LGBT group, we have learned this week that “two spirit” and “questioning” folks are a part of the alphabet mix…LGBTTQ.  Where were these new entrants in the Bishop’s meeting?  Someone needs to investigate before the “welcoming” list is posted on the Diocesan website!

“Two-spirit”? Oh for crying out loud.  Can we invent yet more perversions and mental disorders?  (Okay, I know the reference is to Wikipedia, but did you notice how supposedly open and accepting all Native Americans were to this and how they were corrupted by the evil influence of Christian/Europeans?)

What, is the peoples’ artist on holiday? I expected a suitable painting to accompany the glorious title. Something showing the bishop granting a warm, inclusive hug to his adoring audience while at the same time highlighting the steely determination in his eyes—eternally vigilant to the slings and arrows of homophobic bloggers ;>)

Stephen+

A diversity stole was presented to Bishop Benhase from the membership,

I bet I know a certain Bishop with a pair of shoes that would go great with that stole.

Whadayaknow - fruit in the cheesecake!

It’s not called ‘getting smaller.’  It’s called being a prophetic witness.

Oh boy, have I heard that from members of the Episcopal Forum in SC. Uh huh. yeah.

I wonder whether faithful people in Georgia are starting to write an incessant flood of letters to their clergy, the Standing Committee, and their Bishop. Or, are they rolling over and playing dead? If the latter, that diocese is moribund.

I suspect this can be stopped, or at least slowed down. The Disintegrity people are persistently vocal, in the hope that they can wear down the faithful.

Unfortunately, the majority of the good people of this diocese probably don’t even know of this latest bit of controversy; and in my experience many don’t want to know, having convinced themselves and each other that their local parish is all they need be concerned with. In addition, the very idea that they might be considered intolerant or discriminatory is distasteful.

Unfortunately, the majority of the good people of this diocese probably don’t even know of this latest bit of controversy…

Because of Stand Firm, there’s no reason that the entire diocese shouldn’t know exactly what’s being plotted behind the scenes. The Disintegrity GA website lays out the agenda in the clearest terms. The Diocese of Upper SOuth Carolina is next.

A friend in GA tells me that the diocese wants to grow, and wants to mount a successful capital campaign. For that to happen in that part of the Bible Belt, the diocese must focus on the teachings of Holy Scripture and disavow the progressive agenda.

In the course of the conversation, Bishop Benhase spoke of his commitment to the full inclusion of LGBT folk in the life and ministry of the church, while at the same time acknowledging his firm allegiance to the constitution and canons of both the national church and this diocese.

Would those canons include this one:

CANON 18: Of the Solemnization of Holy Matrimony
Sec. 1. Every Member of the Clergy of this Church shall conform to the laws of the State governing the creation of the civil status of marriage, and also to the laws of this Church governing the solemnization of Holy Matrimony.
Sec. 2. Before solemnizing a marriage the Member of the Clergy shall have ascertained:
(a) That both parties have the right to contract a marriage according to the laws of the State.
(b) That both parties understand that Holy Matrimony is a physical and spiritual union of a man and a woman, entered into within the community of faith, by mutual consent of heart, mind, and will, and with intent that it be lifelong

Or is that being applied as “mannish” and “womanish?”

As far as I can tell, TEC has never made an official doctrinal (or dogmatic) statement renouncing Scriptual authority in matters of sexual morality. Nor has it made such a statement regarding the blessing of sexual relationships outside of Holy Matrimony as defined in Canon 18, and in the BCP.

That diocese certainly hasn’t made such statements, either. If that were to happen, the new, inclusive bishop’s flock would scatter in various directions. Perhaps he didn’t read the diocesan profile; perhaps he thinks that good looks and a smile will hold everything together while the devil goes down to Georgia.

TITLE IV    
“ECCLESIASTICAL DISCIPLINE

CANON 1
Ethical Standards

Aspirants, postulants, and those accepted to holy orders shall accept and conform to the following standard:  “Marriage between a man and a woman or abstinence from sexual activity are the only acceptable forms of sexual behavior for a Deacon, Priest or Bishop in the Diocese of Georgia.””

This comes from the diocesan canons and would obviously have to be repealed in order to move forward with the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in Orders in GA.  However, rumor has it that an attempt to repeal this is underway under the guise that we simply need to bring diocesan canons in line with National Canons.  I’ll bet it would pass with little or no discussion or opposition.

Hmmmm. Does anyone have a copy of the survey they did before the bishop election? Here’s a summary:
http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/gavin_dunbar_on_the_diocese_of_georgia_survey_results/

What it meant in terms of the “hot-button” issues of the day was, however, spelled out with commendable clarity. Opposition to same-sex marriage was strong (seventy-two per cent, with only nine-teen in favour), although the opposition drops to fifty-two per cent when the question concerns same-sex blessings (forty-one per cent in favour). Support for celibate homosexual clergy is high (fifty-eight per cent), but opposition to “partnered” homosexual clergy is strong (sixty-two percent opposed, thirty per cent in favour).

The parishes need to be very, very careful whom they elect to the diocesan convention. Delegates need to read Gagnon, Lambeth 1.10, the Windsor Report, etc., lest they be bamboozled.

Support for diocesan unity was huge (ninety-one per cent). Support for unity with the Anglican Communion was also huge (eighty-six per cent).

If the diocesan convention degenerates into some sort of weird indaba (inheresy) lovefest, willing to throw Holy Scripture (and centuries of Christian Tradition) under the bus in favor of “unity,” the devil will find many souls to steal.

#40, if one reads the diocesan canon literally (it’s about sex outside of marriage) and if one reads the national canons literally (same sex attraction), how is the diocesan canon in conflict with the national canon?

Repealing the diocesan canon would permit all sorts of extramarital relationships. Even paedophilia.

Male and female homosexuals can already enter Holy Orders in Georgia. As long as they’re not in a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

BUMP!

It looks like DioGA is doing a feasibility study for a Capital Campaign. That’s good - I hear they need money.

See:
http://georgia.anglican.org/?p=905

So, “The Diocese seeks to grow as the Body of Christ…” and “...expressed a strong, urgent desire to increase membership and participation in every part of the Diocese…”

Hmmm. That’s also a good idea. Perhaps they will listen to the voice of reason and abandon the trajectory that their bishop seemingly intends.

A Briefing Statement can be downloaded for perusal. The words “inclusive” and “diversity” are there, but are not in the forefront.

This is something of a tangent, but the “unique gifts” got me thinking about how when women forced their way into the priesthood (if they, in reality, actually made it into the priesthood), they contradicted a whole lot of people.  People like Francis of Assisi, not to mention Francis de Sales, Mother Teresa, Hildegard de Bingen, etc.  A whole lot of people who actually contributed a whole LOT to their faith and their church.

Looking it over the other day, I wondered aloud, so these women, they think they are an “improvement” to the church.

Just what have they contributed to our faith and our church?

The work of Jesus is reconciliation, reconciling man to God and God to man.  That is the work of the priest, essentially.  What have these women-who-imagine-themselves-priests done in the effort of reconciling people to God?

And now these people who wonder about their “unique gifts.”  The gays have been out and about in the church for a while now, taking over, making things go their way.

WHERE ARE ALL THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CHURCH?

Personally, I don’t see any.

Memo to the executive council of the episcopal organisation formerly known as the Episcopal Church:

Please place Carl’s name in contention for the position of presiding bishop his dual personality disorder makes him uniquely qualified for the post…in fact, make it a life-long tenure.  We need his talents to speak from both sides of his mouth simultaneously in the new general offices, wherever they end up being located, Sundance WY, Groom Lake NV, or wherever.