A place to stand


The following came from an article in the online edition of the New York Times today: "Conservative Group Amplifies Voice of Protestant Orthodoxy."

"It's pretty clear that the church elite in the mainline denominations are to the left of the people in the pews," said Diane Knippers, the institute's [Institute on Religion and Democracy or IRD] president and an Episcopalian who helped found the American Anglican Council and now sits on its board.

Mrs. Knippers said she could support the notion of divorce for irreconcilable differences, albeit perhaps with liberals leaving. "Rather than be embroiled in legal battles in church courts over sexuality, let's find a gracious way to say, `we will let you leave this system because you believe it violates your conscience.' "

Huh.

I submit that, rather, Diane Knippers and the IRD sit very much to the right of most people in the pews -- and elsewhere in the church. The string-pullers of the IRD and the AAC, these ultra-rich and ultra-conservative bullies, are the elitists.

The fact that they've only been able to get a handful of dioceses in the Episcopal Church to sign on with the Network corroborates that most people aren't in their camp. Of course, that's not the noise that comes out of the mouths of Diane Knippers and her cohorts.

But Knippers has revealed their true intentions: to control the mainline churches -- Episcopal, United Methodist and Presbyterian -- by hook or crook. They will try to run out the elements they consider liberal -- gays and lesbians ("polluters of the church," Archbishop Peter Akinola called them), women, social do-gooders, anyone who might get in the way of their goals, which are ultimately political. Right-wing political, like the president they support, George W. Bush, self-proclaimed divine appointee, who spouts their rhetoric on homosexuality, marriage, etc.

I submit that Knippers is a right-wing elitist who thinks she knows much better than us everyday churchgoers what is good for the church, and much better than what was legitimately determined at convention, so she and her friends want to appropriate all the decision-making, by whatever means it takes.

Just like our current administration used whatever means it took to get in office. Just like they'll use any means it takes to get information of limited value from a few Iraqis, then play word games about what's covered under the Geneva Convention. Those Iraqis are the enemy in a religious war, after all.

The ends entirely justify the means, in their thinking.

Yep. You got it. I'm talking about fascism in the IRD and AAC that's tied to fascism in our government.

Just look at the board of the IRD and see the names -- Richard Melon Scaife, the Coors family, Christian reconstructionists Howard and Roberta Ahmanson (who also have ties to Diebold and ESS, manufacturers of "funny" electronic voting machines that like to give conservative results).

No, Mrs. Knippers. You can go if you're so unhappy with the Episcopal Church that you feel a divorce is necessary. May God be with you.

But to borrow a phrase from the AAC, I've found my place to stand(and thanks be to God for leading me to it!) and I'm going to stand firm.