The Contemporary Episcopalian

As of now, I am no longer a contemporary Episcopalian .... because if you are, then you are in agreement with the following resolutions passed by TEC .... and I am not in agreement.

You support the United Nations Millennium Goals as the priority in the Church’s mission[1]

o Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

o Achieve universal primary education

o Promote gender equality and empower women; major focus is sexual and reproductive health guaranteeing free access to contraception and abortion on demand[2]

o Reduce child mortality

o Improve maternal health

o Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases

o Ensure environmental sustainability, and

o Create a global partnership for development with a focus on debt, aid, and trade.

You support immigration reform that ends attempts to criminalize illegal immigration.[3]

You call have called upon the United States Congress to give gay and lesbian couples bereavement benefits, family leave policies; health benefits; pension benefits; real-estate transfer tax benefits; and commitments to mutual support.[4]

You oppose any state or federal constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex civil marriage or civil unions.[5]

You believe that it is time that all dioceses put aside traditional objections and begin ordaining women to the priesthood and episcopacy.[6]

You believe that certain portions of Holy Scripture give offense to non-Christians and that attempts should be made to mitigate their impact.[7]

You believe that the Church, at every level, should call upon Congress and the American people to support monetary and non-monetary reparations for the descendants of slaves.[8]

You “confess that our government’s participation in the war in Iraq has resulted in individual and global injustices…(and) call upon all Episcopalians as an act of penitence, to oppose and resist through advocacy, protest, and electoral action the continuation of the war in Iraq…”[9]

You are opposed to the mandatory Federal sentencing guidelines for felons.[10]

You are opposed to the Patriot Act and believe that fundamental civil rights are being denied by our government; furthermore, you insist that Congress hold hearings on the abuse of civil liberties caused by the Patriot Act.[11]

You oppose any Federal or state legislation that might restrict access to abortion.[12]

You believe that “[homosexual relationship demonstrate] the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God” and ” local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions.”[13]

You are a supporter of the 2004 Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride (and proved so with your financial assistance); a national bus tour of advocacy groups demanding a change to United States immigration policy.[14]

You support “socially responsible purchasing in the corporate food industry in order to advance the human rights of farm workers” and “urge the church at every level to respond to possible calls for boycotts and other actions.”[15]

You believe that transgendered people (cross dressers, transvestites and transsexuals) who are not being afforded adequate police protection in their native countries should be granted asylum in the United States and “the Episcopal Church [should] aid in the resettlement of such individuals.”[16]

Since 1996 you have been a member of the Religious Alliance for Reproductive Choice whose stated mission is “to safeguard the constitutional right to abortion. The Coalition founders were clergy and lay leaders from mainstream religions, many of whom had provided women with referrals to safe abortion services before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade.”[17]

You refuse to hold a General Convention of the Church “in a state that prohibits domestic partnerships or the rights associated therewith.”[18]

You oppose legislation to outlaw the use of church property as “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants facing deportation or criminal charges and if such legislation is passes, “call upon the people of the Episcopal Church to act on their baptismal covenant without regard to such unjust legislation.”[19] [This final phrase, of course, means that a) you believe that your baptismal covenant calls you to defend sanctuary for illegal immigrants; b) that your baptismal covenant calls you to disobey laws].

You believe in an immediate and unconditional lifting of the United States’ trade embargo against Cuba and want to insure that ” in order to promote the exchange of religious and political ideals, all members of the Episcopal Church are encouraged to travel to Cuba.”[20]

You called on the State of Ohio to reject the Defense of Marriage Act (2004) defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman.[21] [Despite your opposition, the people of Ohio overwhelming passed the Act].

You opposed any attempt to add “intelligent design” or other “creationist” material into the classroom.[22]

You demand that the United States Government end its flagrant abuse of civil rights in Guatanamo Bay.[23]

Now ask the questions: just how Episcopalian are you? Do you ever get the feeling that your Church went off into the cultural fringe and left us behind?

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[1] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), pp. 522-524.

[2] Public Choices, Private Decisions: Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals; Achieving the Millennium Development Goals, United Nations General Secretariat (New York, 2007)

[3] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), pp. 532-533

[4] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), p. 704.

[5] Ibid.

[6] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), p. 343.

[7] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), pp. 417-418.

[8] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), p. 666.

[9] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), pp. 662-663.

[10] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, 2003 (New York: General Convention, 2004), p. 126f.

[11] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, 2003 (New York: General Convention, 2004), p. 325f.

[12] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, New Orleans, 1982 (New York: General Convention, 1983), p. C-156.

[13] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, 2003 (New York: General Convention, 2004), p. 615f.

[14] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, 2003 (New York: General Convention, 2004), p. 326f.

[15] Executive Council Minutes, Mar. 2-4, 2007, Portland, OR, pp. 12-13.

[16] Executive Council Minutes, Mar. 2-4, 2007, Portland, OR, pp. 14.

[17] Executive Council Minutes, Jan. 9-12, 2006, Des Moines, IA, pp. 4-5.

[18] Executive Council Minutes, Mar. 2-4, 2007, Portland, OR, p. 12.

[19] Executive Council Minutes, Mar. 6-9, 2006, Philadelphia, PA, p. 22.

[20] Executive Council Minutes, Nov. 12-15, 2006, Chicago, IL, p. 22.

[21] Executive Council Minutes, Jun. 11-14, 2004, Burlington, VT, pp. 30-31.

[22] General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Columbus, 2006 (New York: General Convention, 2007), pp. 690-691.

[23] Executive Council Minutes, Jun. 11-14, 2004, Burlington, VT, pp. 20-21