Magic Statistics

It wouldn't be the first time, I'm sure.

h/t: Rebecca Writes 

I don’t know if the Globe and Mail’s Michael Valpy wrote the headline on his piece, but I’m sure it accurately reflects his sentiments.

Anglican bishops shoot down same-sex marriage blessings

If only the SSB motion had been “shot down”!  In fact, however, it’s more like the Motion That Wouldn’t Die.  It keeps coming back, refusing to take “no” for an answer, until it conquers.

A razor-thin majority of Canada's Anglican bishops on Sunday overrode the wishes of their laity and clergy and vetoed a resolution that would have allowed for blessings in church settings of committed homosexual unions.

The bishops “overrode the wishes of their laity and clergy”?  A rather tendentious perspective on the outcome, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from Mr Valpy.  Anyway, historically, the Anglican Church of Canada is an episcopal church, so the bishops have that prerogative.  Or, at least, they used to.  Many of us wish they still did.

Here’s a bit of hallucinatory raving wishful thinking.

The bishops' action — taken at the Canadian church's triennial general synod, or governing parliament, held in Winnipeg — will spare it from censure by leaders of other branches of the global Anglican Communion, almost all of whom are vehemently opposed to blessing same-sex unions and permitting priests to be in open homosexual relationships.

We heard that earlier this week from Kenneth Kearon and it’s no more persuasive that it was a few days ago.  Liberals who agree with Valpy and Kearon that the Communion primates are going to let Canada’s General Synod pass without comment and, indeed, censure are living in a dream world.

h/t: Virtue Online

Previous related posts:

• SSBs consistent with doctrine, but not allowed anyway
• Anglican Church of Canada lowers the bar for same-sex blessings
• The Globe and Mail is so predictable
• Globe and Mail regurgitates Ingham’s speech

UPDATE (25 Jun.): The story's headline in today's print edition of the Globe has been toned down slightly to "Bishops narrowly overturn vote to approve gay unions".

Earlier today, General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada debated and voted on two resolutions regarding same-sex blessings (SSBs).  One passed while the other was defeated, leaving the situation as clear as mud.  The approved motion, A186, states that SSBs do not conflict with the church's “core doctrine”, while the defeated motion, A187, would have allowed individual dioceses to authorise SSBs.

The outcomes of the two votes hinged, as expected, on the bishops.  A186 passed the bishops by two votes, 21 to 19, while A187 failed by the same two-vote margin.  Two bishops (or possibly more, but that appears doubtful) switched sides between the two votes, agreeing that there is no doctrinal problem with SSBs, but opposing their authorisation.  Peter at Anglican Essentials blog informs us that Bishop of Edmonton Victoria Matthews was one of the two.  The identity of the other is, at this time, unknown.

Thus, General Synod has reached the incoherent (to me, anyway) conclusion that, even though there is no doctrinal impediment to same-sex blessings, we’re not going to allow them.  I fail to see the logic, unless this is a muddled attempt to mollify Canadian Anglicans who oppose SSBs, not to mention the rest of the Anglican Communion.  If that is the motivation, I doubt that strategy will succeed.

In any case, New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham and his supporters will see Resolution A186 as approval for his 2003 decision to authorise SSBs in his diocese.  Other Canadian dioceses inclined to conduct SSBs may well take the same view and decide to act accordingly.

As a result of today’s decisions, I think there will be a serious loss of trust between Canadian Anglicans who oppose SSBs and those who approve them.  Council of General Synod presented the motions along with a concocted 60% majority requirement.  These came to the floor of General Synod as three separate motions, with the artificial majority requirement being voted on first.  Once that was disposed of, the stage was set for approval of SSBs with the bar set at 50% + 1.  The whole scenario smacks of low cunning and dirty tricks.

Here are the texts of the two motions decided today, as recorded by Peter at Essentials Synod blog.  Resolution A186 was approved:

That this General Synod resolves that the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the core doctrine (in the sense of being creedal) of The Anglican Church of Canada.

Resolution A187 was defeated—but, no doubt, it or something very similar will be offered at General Synod 2010.

That this General Synod affirm the authority and jurisdiction of any diocesan synod,
a) with the concurrence of the diocesan bishop, and
b) in a manner than respects the conscience of the incumbent and the will of the parish,
to authorise the blessing of committed same sex unions.

Liberal lip service to the concerns of aboriginal Canadian Anglicans was exemplified again today.  Between the debates on A186 and A187, General Synod received a report on residential schools.  The Rev Joe Walker commented:

I find the timing of this presentation on aboriginal issues cruel with irony. It is well known that the native parishes are often among the most conservative. And yet it appears that once again the “dominant eurocentric paradigm” imposes its will on them.

One of the things which folks may not appreciate is that only very few of the native anglicans in Canada will make public speeches, declaring their positions. If it has been spoken once, it will not be spoken again (unlike our battle-weary rhetoric wars).

Sadly, one native priest I chatted with at lunch anticipates that over half of his congregation will leave. Their young people face great brokenness (suicide and addiction rates are alarming) and the church has failed to provide them with guidance on the issue of sexuality.

Dean Sewap from Cree Pelican, the Diocese of Saskatchewan's Youth Delegate, who spoke so courageously to General Synod yesterday, has been elected to Council of General Synod.  God be with you, Dean.

Thanks again to Peter for his yeoman live-blogging service.

Previous related posts:

• Anglican Church of Canada lowers the bar for same-sex blessings
• General Synod 2007 about to begin
• Yukon Diocesan Synod passes resolution on same-sex blessings
• Council of General Synod tries to pull a fast one

The recessional hymn at this morning’s service at Christ Church Cathedral, Whitehorse.  (Hymn #522 in the Anglican Church of Canada's hymn book, Common Praise.)

Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure,
cleanse me from its guilt and power.

Not the labor of my hands
can fulfill thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyelids close in death,
when I soar through tracts unknown
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

Words: Augustus Montague Toplady, 1740-1778

In the midst of bad news from General Synod, I found this hymn especially encouraging.  All our works contribute nothing to our deliverance from sin.  Salvation cannot be earned or deserved: Salvation is all from God and God alone.  Hallelujah!

The collect for today, the 3rd Sunday after Trinity, from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:

O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may by thy mighty aid be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 St Peter 5:5b-11
The Gospel: St Luke 15:1-10