Over the weekend, seven episcopal parishes in northern Virginia voted to split with the Diocese of Virginia over the issue of homosexuality. Specifically, the seven parishes object to the ordination of a gay bishop and the sanctioning of same sex unions. The churches now each face a lengthy legal battle regarding the ownership of the churches’ properties as they belong to the diocese of Virginia. The objection is being couched in terms of “following scripture” instead of the more likely explanation of “we dislike gay people and think they should be stoned.”
The churches will now be aligned with the Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, who encourages the jailing of homosexuals, so it’s really not so much about scripture as it is the jailing of those damn gays. Personally, I think the whole thing is no great loss for the Diocese of Virginia, so long as they’re able to get a good agreement of the purchase of the property.
The reactions from the parishioners, both for and against are strong, and full of emotion. One local Episcopal blogger wrote today: “Yes, I’m deliberately avoiding a discussion of the current unpleasantness here on this blog. There are many other sites both conservative and liberal that are more than happy to hash that out, and I’ve even commented on some of them. Just… not here, not today, alright?”
I can certainly understand the reaction. What’s your take?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
