Surprise hit out of Israel that's sweeping the Mideast.
Showing posts with label Speaking Truth to Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Speaking Truth to Power. Show all posts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The High Standard of Journalism
The Washington Post has a story today about a town hall meeting at Towson University in Maryland. What's striking is that the reporter's voice purports to be objective until this sentence in the fourth paragraph "I, being an outspoken sort, carried a sign backing health-care reform and decided to mix with the opposition crowd."
The reporter, of course, accuses his opponents of spreading lies and misinformation, while he of course speaks with straight tongue.
I do not object to a partisan press. I do object, strongly, to a press that wants to have it both ways, as advocates and as disinterested observers.
The reporter, of course, accuses his opponents of spreading lies and misinformation, while he of course speaks with straight tongue.
I do not object to a partisan press. I do object, strongly, to a press that wants to have it both ways, as advocates and as disinterested observers.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
One Track Prophetic Voice
The only problem with the Simpsons is that all too often they focus on the municipal level rather than the federal. The Simpsons writers still are entirely too accurate.
Monorail. Heh.
Monorail. Heh.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Proposed Revision to Canadian Flag
Our spies in British Columbia have sent us what the BC HRC want the new Canadian flag to look like. I'm sure Mr Warman and Bishop Ingham will both be equally thrilled.
Oh, and if anyone wants to bring me up in front of a Human Rights Commission tribunal, I'm an American and I live, work and blog in America. I'm also an attorney. Bring it on.
Yet more background.
Oh, and if anyone wants to bring me up in front of a Human Rights Commission tribunal, I'm an American and I live, work and blog in America. I'm also an attorney. Bring it on.
Yet more background.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Deflection and Pie in the Sky
The House of Bishops and Deputies Mailing list is having its regular discussion of the Episcopal Church's declining membership. Someone posted a set of statistics showing that the decline is real and asked the simple question : "What does this say about us?".
The respondents have been many and vocal. And the vast majority of them engage in deflection in their replies. "Everyone else is experiencing declines as well", "It can't be the consecration of Bishop Robinson, that was in 2003", "Folks are just tired of all the fighting" and my personal favourite: "Maybe they're not leaving per se, they're just dying."(All of the quotes are paraphrases. I'm not allowed to quote directly).
No one wants to step up and say "Here's what we need to do to reverse this." No one.
I know what to do, though. And it's not because I'm a super-genius either. It's because every time it's been tried, it works. Here's what has to be done.
First, at the next General Convention, have a revival. I know we are Episcopalians and we have never gone in for that sort of thing, but it's time we did. Bring in wall to wall good, effective, orthodox preachers. Have a cracking good choir or two or three. Preach fire and brimstone and call for repentance. Set the leadership ablaze with the true Spirit of God.
Second, revive the Inquisition. Just kidding. Step two: Do what the Southern Baptists did and what the Catholics are doing. Purge the seminaries. Bring them back to the Gospel. Next purge 815, from top to bottom. We really do not need that many people in the bureaucracy.
Step three, consolidate the dioceses. I figure we could get by with maybe thirty, probably less than that, but thirty seems about right geographically. Most dioceses would have at least one suffragan.
Fourth, and no one will like this idea. Update both the BCP and the Hymnal. Bring back the bad old hymns in their original words. Include newer hymns with the nicer words. Eschew stealth editing forever more. More importantly, with the BCP, take Cranmer's original and update the verbiage. That's it. Steal the Baltimore Catechism from the Romans and conform it theologically to Hooker and the 39 Articles. Require Confirmation of every person wishing to join the Episcopal Church. Require that confirmands memorize the new catechism. No one has to agree with it, but they have to understand and know it. Disallow all alternative services for at least ten years.
Fifth, dismiss all bishops, priests and deacons who are not either 1) celibate or 2) married to a person of the opposite sex. Dismiss all bishops, priests and deacons who are divorced. Dismiss all bishops, priests and deacons who are in California, Massachusetts, Chicago, New York or Newark. Just because.
Sixth, and perhaps most important of all. Give away the endowment. All of it. Come up with a plan to get rid of it in five years and stick to it. Require our churches and dioceses to similarly dispose of their endowments. It's time to live within our income as a church.
Seventh, trim the parish rolls. Count as members only those that attend at least monthly and donate to the church.
If the church followed my little scheme, our numbers would drop like a frozen turkey tossed from a helicopter. For about a year or two. And then we would grow. We would probably grow somewhat dramatically.
It's not going to happen though. The revisionists would never go along with the theological reforms, the pew potatoes would hate the organizational reforms, and everyone would hate giving all that lovely cash away.
I can back up each point with some fairly irrefutable reasons why they are necessary. I will do so upon demand. But the main point is that the Episcopal Church has no reason to exist at the present. That lack is killing it. We need to reform and refocus on what is truly important. We need less deflection and a lot more honesty. We need less narcissism and more commitment to God. We need a lot less dialog and a lot more obedience, not to men, not to canons, constitutions, bloggers, priests or bishops, but to God.
We need it. But it ain't gonna happen.
The respondents have been many and vocal. And the vast majority of them engage in deflection in their replies. "Everyone else is experiencing declines as well", "It can't be the consecration of Bishop Robinson, that was in 2003", "Folks are just tired of all the fighting" and my personal favourite: "Maybe they're not leaving per se, they're just dying."(All of the quotes are paraphrases. I'm not allowed to quote directly).
No one wants to step up and say "Here's what we need to do to reverse this." No one.
I know what to do, though. And it's not because I'm a super-genius either. It's because every time it's been tried, it works. Here's what has to be done.
First, at the next General Convention, have a revival. I know we are Episcopalians and we have never gone in for that sort of thing, but it's time we did. Bring in wall to wall good, effective, orthodox preachers. Have a cracking good choir or two or three. Preach fire and brimstone and call for repentance. Set the leadership ablaze with the true Spirit of God.
Second, revive the Inquisition. Just kidding. Step two: Do what the Southern Baptists did and what the Catholics are doing. Purge the seminaries. Bring them back to the Gospel. Next purge 815, from top to bottom. We really do not need that many people in the bureaucracy.
Step three, consolidate the dioceses. I figure we could get by with maybe thirty, probably less than that, but thirty seems about right geographically. Most dioceses would have at least one suffragan.
Fourth, and no one will like this idea. Update both the BCP and the Hymnal. Bring back the bad old hymns in their original words. Include newer hymns with the nicer words. Eschew stealth editing forever more. More importantly, with the BCP, take Cranmer's original and update the verbiage. That's it. Steal the Baltimore Catechism from the Romans and conform it theologically to Hooker and the 39 Articles. Require Confirmation of every person wishing to join the Episcopal Church. Require that confirmands memorize the new catechism. No one has to agree with it, but they have to understand and know it. Disallow all alternative services for at least ten years.
Fifth, dismiss all bishops, priests and deacons who are not either 1) celibate or 2) married to a person of the opposite sex. Dismiss all bishops, priests and deacons who are divorced. Dismiss all bishops, priests and deacons who are in California, Massachusetts, Chicago, New York or Newark. Just because.
Sixth, and perhaps most important of all. Give away the endowment. All of it. Come up with a plan to get rid of it in five years and stick to it. Require our churches and dioceses to similarly dispose of their endowments. It's time to live within our income as a church.
Seventh, trim the parish rolls. Count as members only those that attend at least monthly and donate to the church.
If the church followed my little scheme, our numbers would drop like a frozen turkey tossed from a helicopter. For about a year or two. And then we would grow. We would probably grow somewhat dramatically.
It's not going to happen though. The revisionists would never go along with the theological reforms, the pew potatoes would hate the organizational reforms, and everyone would hate giving all that lovely cash away.
I can back up each point with some fairly irrefutable reasons why they are necessary. I will do so upon demand. But the main point is that the Episcopal Church has no reason to exist at the present. That lack is killing it. We need to reform and refocus on what is truly important. We need less deflection and a lot more honesty. We need less narcissism and more commitment to God. We need a lot less dialog and a lot more obedience, not to men, not to canons, constitutions, bloggers, priests or bishops, but to God.
We need it. But it ain't gonna happen.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Failure
Lately, I have realized I am a failure. I am a loser, a wash out, inadequate and more.
Perhaps some explanation is needed.
I've been reading some of the standard church literary and academic fare lately. As a result I've had my eyes opened to being an oppressive member of the patriarchy. I disempower womyn and suppress racial groups other then my own. My own church tells me this. I accept that I am such a naughty person.
But here's the problem. I'm not realizing the rewards of my oppressing and disempowering. Last time I ordered my wife to make breakfast, she laughed at me. She still snickers every time she thinks of it. I have totally failed at turning her into a meek, obedient slave.
As far as being a racist, I'm a bit more successful, but only a bit. I do oppress four members of a race other than mine in our house. I can generally terrify them whenever I wish. But none of our cats will ever make me a mint julep and far from feeding me, I have to feed them. Just who is the master and who is the slave here?
I really wouldn't mind being called an oppressor, if I actually realized the fruits of my oppression. But as it is, I'm a failure.
Perhaps some explanation is needed.
I've been reading some of the standard church literary and academic fare lately. As a result I've had my eyes opened to being an oppressive member of the patriarchy. I disempower womyn and suppress racial groups other then my own. My own church tells me this. I accept that I am such a naughty person.
But here's the problem. I'm not realizing the rewards of my oppressing and disempowering. Last time I ordered my wife to make breakfast, she laughed at me. She still snickers every time she thinks of it. I have totally failed at turning her into a meek, obedient slave.
As far as being a racist, I'm a bit more successful, but only a bit. I do oppress four members of a race other than mine in our house. I can generally terrify them whenever I wish. But none of our cats will ever make me a mint julep and far from feeding me, I have to feed them. Just who is the master and who is the slave here?
I really wouldn't mind being called an oppressor, if I actually realized the fruits of my oppression. But as it is, I'm a failure.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Checklist
I am appalled at myself. I have had this idea of a theological checklist to be used by laity in interviewing clergy. One thing that appalls me is not only did I think of the idea, but that such a thing is necessary. And it is necessary. The others are the questions that I think need to be asked. Basic questions like "Do you believe in a historical physical resurrection?" and "Who do you think ought to partake of the Eucharist?" and "which bits of the Nicene Creed do you disagree with, agree with in a qualified manner or redefine away from classical belief?"
Why is this necessary? Sadly because the laity, myself amongst them, have been systematically deceived by our clergy. I thought when someone said the Nicene Creed, that was what they believed. I thought when someone swore an oath to uphold the Faith it was understood that the Faith to be upheld was that stated in the Book of Common Prayer.
For a good Catholic boy, this has meant the destruction of my obedience to the authority of the my leaders. I can no longer defer to anyone simply because they wear a dog collar. As is common with lovers who have been scorned, I am now more suspicious of the clergy than the laity. I have been burnt too many times by priests and bishops who say only orthodox doctrine when they are amongst strangers or mixed crowds, but practice another theology when they feel secure amongst fellow non-believers.
For a high church type like me, there are whole passages from Pilgrim's Progress that ring painfully true.
Why is this necessary? Sadly because the laity, myself amongst them, have been systematically deceived by our clergy. I thought when someone said the Nicene Creed, that was what they believed. I thought when someone swore an oath to uphold the Faith it was understood that the Faith to be upheld was that stated in the Book of Common Prayer.
For a good Catholic boy, this has meant the destruction of my obedience to the authority of the my leaders. I can no longer defer to anyone simply because they wear a dog collar. As is common with lovers who have been scorned, I am now more suspicious of the clergy than the laity. I have been burnt too many times by priests and bishops who say only orthodox doctrine when they are amongst strangers or mixed crowds, but practice another theology when they feel secure amongst fellow non-believers.
For a high church type like me, there are whole passages from Pilgrim's Progress that ring painfully true.
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