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| Holding back the tide.... | | Date Created: Mar 10, 2005, 10:55 AM |
With the recent controversies in the Anglican communion, I've been thinking lately about the similar struggle in the Presbyterian Church. I've begun thinking about this struggle in more historical terms, I guess. After all, it's been about 30 years since the unpleasantness began.
Thirty years. Almost all of my lifetime. All that time spent arguing.
In the Presbyterian Church we've had "Definitive Guidance" and "Authoritative Interpretation" and "Amendment B." We've had 30 years of heresy trials and affirmations, dissent and covenants. And in the end, what has been accomplished by either side?
Nothing. Not a damn thing.
Thirty years ago, prior to the beginning of these debates, small numbers of queerfolk were being ordained, and even married in the church. Today, in spite of the various prohibitions, small numbers of queerfolk are being ordained, and even married in the church.
Sure, there are some people who are upset that all their work has come to nothing. All these amendments and heresy trials -- meaningless. (As far as I know, not a single one of these trials has gone anywhere. Paul Rolf Jensen has filed many charges against various ministers in the Presbyterian Church -- and they're always ministers, never lay leaders ... gee, I wonder why that is? -- and as far as I am aware, these charges have basically ended up going nowhere. In fact, Jensen doesn't even show up to defend his accusations, which assures that they go nowhere.)
Let's conduct a thought experiment. (If thought experiments were good enough for Einstein they're good enough for us!) Let's imagine what would happen if tomorrow queerfolk were allowed to be ordained and married in the church. I suggest that such a thought experiment is unnecessary because, as I've pointed out, this has already been carried out in the PCUSA for the last 30 years. In fact, let's be reasonable for a second ... this experiment has already been carried out in the Church for the last 2000 years. The result? Nothing. The Church hasn't collapsed, no one has been struck mute or blind, no flies, or boils, or locusts, or frogs. Let's face it, when God is displeased, he has pretty interesting ways of showing it. I've been to a number of "Welcoming and Affirming" churches and have yet to see frogs in the aisles, or their bathroom faucets running hot and cold blood. Our church, for example, is almost completely locust free.
Let's be clear: the Church (of all flavors, styles, denominations, nationalities) has always ordained queerfolk. It always will.
I understand that there are deeply held, passionate beliefs on all sides. I have my own deeply held, passionate beliefs. But God gave us both faith and reason. Perhaps it's time to use a little reason. The Church has had 30 years of anger and acrimony, recrimination and rhetoric. One side is a bunch of bigoted homophobes that care nothing for the church. The other side is a bunch of hedonistic fornicators that care nothing for the church. It really is time to drop that kind of rhetoric and be reasonable (ie. able to reason) for just a few moments.
Oh dear, but if we were to allow queerfolk to be ordained and/or get married, the conservates would break away! Let 'em! Take the conservative Anglican churches for example. Do they honestly ... for even a second ... believe that they won't be ordaining queerfolk? Do they honestly ... even for a second ... believe that they don't already have queer bishops in their midst? Let 'em go. In 10 years they'll be ordaining queerfolk just like the rest of the church. Don't believe me? Look at the issue of ordaining women. In their history, several denominations have split over the issue of ordaining women. And today, most of the conservative groups that split off over the issue now ordain women.
You can't hold back the tide with a broom.
It's time for progressives to simply BE the Church, to stop asking permission and begging for crumbs. Instead they should just recognize the historical tradition of the Church on these matters: queerfolk have always been in the church and always will be. Let's move on.
As for the conservatives? Let 'em go. And in 10 years, when the conservatives realize the error of their ways, we'll still be here, with open arms, waiting to welcome the prodigals home. We'll both chuckle together over their naiveté, and eat green bean casserole together. |
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