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Nigerian Primate Blasts TEC as Recruitment Camp, Blackmail, Indoctrination and Toxic Relationship * Diocese of PA Elects new Bishop * Welby Berated over Child Sex Scandal * DofSC considers affiliation with ACNA * Episcopal DofSC considers USC affiliation

The Bible's human authors. The biblical historians were not historians in the modern sense, writing with scientific detachment. They were theologians too, writing from a divine perspective. They were not morally and spiritually neutral; they were deeply committed to God's cause. The Old Testament history books were regarded as prophecy, and the four lives of Jesus are not biographies but gospels written by evangelists, who were bearing witness to Jesus. --- John R.W. Stott

Cardinal Kasper: "Modernists are people who do not believe what they believe."

The 19th century saw the secularization of culture, as museums, art galleries and concert halls took the place of churches as houses of the human spirit. And the 20th century saw the secularization of morality as one by one the nations of the West slowly abandoned the Judeo-Christian ethic of the sanctity of life and of the marital bond. And it began not because people stopped believing in God. Newton believed in God very much indeed. It happened after almost a century of wars of religion because people lost faith in the ability of people of different faiths to live peaceably together. --- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sack

The desire for justice in our relationships with one another is often a desire for revenge. --- The Rev. Ted Schroder

The Church of Nigeria shall be in full communion with all Anglican Churches, Dioceses and Provinces that hold and maintain the Historic Faith, Doctrine, Sacrament and Discipline of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church as the Lord has commanded in His holy word and as the same are received as taught in the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal of 1662 and in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. --- Archbishop Nicholas Okoh

"Anyone who calls women 'pigs,' 'ugly,' 'fat' and 'pieces of a - -' is not on my side. Anyone who mocks the handicapped is not on my side. Anyone who has argued the merits of a government takeover of banks, student loans, the auto industry and healthcare is not on my side. Anyone who has been on the cover of Playboy and proud of it, who brags of his sexual history with multiple women and who owns strip clubs in his casinos is not on my side. ... Anyone who ignores the separation of powers and boasts of making the executive branch even more imperial is not on my side." -- Oklahoma Wesleyan University President Everett Piper

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
March 18, 2016

It is the most stinging rebuke to date of The Episcopal Church by the leader of another Anglican province. Nigerian Primate Nicholas Okoh lashed out at the Episcopal Church in language we have not seen since he lit into out-going Archbishop Rowan Williams following his disastrous tenure as head of the Anglican Communion. At that time, Okoh ripped the Archbishop of Canterbury, saying his sudden resignation left behind a Communion in tatters: highly polarized, bitterly factionalized, with issues of revisionist interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and human sexuality as stumbling blocks to oneness.

This time he went after The Episcopal Church in language reminiscent of that, and revealing that it is now only a matter of time before a split is inevitable in the Anglican Communion. He said that at Canterbury, he and his fellow African archbishops were denounced, yes denounced as homophobic, making them feel that they were in the wrong place. If that is true, why didn't Archbishop Justin Welby stop the proceedings and denounce the behavior of archbishops like TEC Presiding Bishop Michael Curry or Archbishop Fred Hiltz of Canada. Why?

Okoh went on to accuse TEC's Michael Curry and, by association, Welby, of using "patience" with the ultimate goal of embracing the homosexual doctrine. In other words, delay, delay and delay till everybody is on board. This is just what Philip Groves of the so-called "Listening Process" just loves to hear. His American paymasters will pay him endlessly till all are on board.

But that's not all. Archbishop Okoh went on to say that the Africans were walking into "a well-rehearsed scheme to gradually apply persuasion, subtle blackmail, coercion on any group still standing with the Scriptural Provision as we know it, to join the straight jacket of the revisionists and be politically correct. Somehow, they are succeeding!"

And you thought I was being tough on sodomists, progressives and revisionists all these years. Well you ain't seen nuthin' yet. We need a "Special Status", said Okoh for orthodox Anglicans, but that won't necessarily work either. As long as you are seated anywhere near a so-called "progressive" archbishop, he will use all his coercive powers to persuade you to come on over, even if his own province is dying.

Okoh concluded his blast with these words; "In summary, as long as we are now candidates for whom every opportunity in the Anglican Communion should be explored to gradually teach us to embrace the new sex culture, it will be unwise to deliberately walk into a well-prepared camp of recruitment, blackmail, indoctrination and toxic relationship."

Of course, he won't be attending the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Lusaka, Zambia in April, and neither will his fellow archbishops from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The boycott could widen. Okoh wrote that the Anglican Communion's journey is very uncertain for the orthodox. You can read the full story in today's digest or here: http://tinyurl.com/h68kkeo

The ACC (one of four instruments of unity) is now irrelevant. Normally I would attend these ACC events, but I have decided not to; the first time in 15 years.

*****

TEC's House of Bishops met in Camp Allen, Texas this week and hidden among the proposals under consideration was this choice morsel; Consideration of a proposed resolution announcing that bishops "reserve the right" to withhold consent for the consecration of bishops elected in processes that did not include a requisite number of women and persons of color. The matter was deferred until the next meeting of the House.

So what this means is that Dead White Males (DWM) are no longer welcome or wanted if a woman, or a 'person of color', wants the job ahead of White Privileged males. This goes along with Curry's rant against racism and White Privilege, and evangelizing white folk out of their latent, and not so latent, racism. Perhaps someone should have stood up and given a short history of what happened in the Diocese of Maryland where a besotted woman bishop killed a man on a bicycle, and then left the scene. She's doing time for her sins. Political correctness might yet kill TEC.

PS. Curry will still not name the racists in the Episcopal Church! Bearing in mind that two-thirds of the Episcopal Church are women over 60, with most doing altar guild work, one wonders if the blue rinse generation have ever uttered a racist slur in their lives. Curry is beating a dead horse and evangelizing the wrong crowd. And, for God's sake, who would want to join the Episcopal Church if you are white and privileged, and then be told that you are a racist in need of anti-racism training and please bring your check book!

Now the HOB did approve the following Word to the Church...without naming names of course, but I think we know WHO they were talking about.

"We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others.

"On Good Friday the ruling political forces of the day tortured and executed an innocent man. They sacrificed the weak and the blameless to protect their own status and power. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead, revealing not only their injustice but also unmasking the lie that might makes right.

In a country still living under the shadow of the lynching tree, we are troubled by the violent forces being released by this season's political rhetoric. Americans are turning against their neighbors, particularly those on the margins of society. They seek to secure their own safety and security at the expense of others. There is legitimate reason to fear where this rhetoric, and the actions arising from it, might take us.

In this moment, we resemble God's children wandering in the wilderness. We, like they, are struggling to find our way. They turned from following God and worshiped a golden calf constructed from their own wealth. The current rhetoric is leading us to construct a modern false idol out of power and privilege. We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others. No matter where we fall on the political spectrum, we must respect the dignity of every human being and we must seek the common good above all else."

I think the two persons referred to here (but not by name) were Donald and Jesus, and the two should not be confused. In case you were wondering, the reference to one who was "tortured and executed" is Jesus, not Trump. Jesus "had nowhere to lay his head," (Luke 9:58; Mt. 8:20). Donald has many mansions including a plane with many gold fittings.

"We call for prayer for our country that a spirit of reconciliation will prevail and we will not betray our true selves," said the bishops. Who whom?

*****

After eight years of stand-in bishops in the Diocese of Pennsylvania still in recovery from the toxic Charles Bennison, the Diocese of Pennsylvania has finally elected a new bishop. He was a surprise choice -- the Canon to the Ordinary of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, one Daniel G.P. Gutierrez. The former Roman Catholic rides in on the white horse of Liberation theology and, of course, is pro-gay, as is the diocese he is leaving.

But here's the irony. Charles E. Bennison hated and loathed evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics and he once told a couple who wanted to obtain holy orders in his diocese, that if they attended Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge to study, he would make sure they would never got parishes in his diocese. They left, never to return.

Bennison himself was later forced out of the diocese by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, through a new General Convention Canon. It was said that Bennison's toxicity in the diocese was so great, that had he been dumped live in the Delaware River, fish would have died.

Irony of ironies, Gutierrez holds a diocesan certificate in Anglican studies from Trinity School for Ministry! God just might have a sense of humor after all. You can read the full story in today's digest. One positive note is that he is married to a woman, which is necessary to say these days, just in case you thought the diocese might be getting another Gene Robinson or Mary Glasspool. Apparently not. We will have to wait to see if he is not really the Second Coming of Bennison. You can read the full story in today's digest.

*****

A Church of England sex abuse victim was repeatedly snubbed when he attempted to raise the matter with the Archbishop of Canterbury's office, a damning report has found.

The man, who was abused by two senior members of the clergy more than 30-years ago, attempted to alert Justin Welby on at least 18 occasions, both in writing and by telephone, but was persistently ignored, causing further pain and trauma.

An independent review into his case concluded there had been a string of "deeply disturbing" failures by senior Church of England figures to take his concerns seriously.

It revealed that he had repeatedly sought to bring the details to the attention of the Archbishop in 2015, but had been left "angry and frustrated" by the lack of response.

We should have been swifter to listen, to believe and to act. This report is deeply uncomfortable for the Church of England, said the Bishop of Crediton, Sarah Mullally.

The review concluded: "The Archbishop of Canterbury, as head of the Church of England, is not in a position where he could be expected to reply personally to each safeguarding concern that is received by his office, no matter how deserving they may be."

*****

Statistics indicate that in the Anglican Church of Canada there are now fewer donors giving larger sums of money. Declining membership has meant fewer contributors. Many of the church's donors are 65 and older, according to Archbishop Fred Hiltz talking to general Synod this week. "Our focus should be on those near the end of their working lives or about to retire, who have less debt and more to give. Research has consistently shown that those who have potential to make large gifts to the Anglican Church of Canada and its partners such as the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF), the Anglican Foundation of Canada, and parishes and dioceses, and who are faithful donors to the church, are far more likely to give large gifts to hospitals, universities and cultural organizations."

So, dear aging Anglican pilgrim, before they lay you out in a pine box, make out a check to keep the dysfunctional province from going under...just a little bit longer...or to pay for the columbarium they will bury your ashes in, or endless Indaba talks that go nowhere.

*****

The Marriage Canon in the Anglican Church of Canada most likely won't pass, so what's to be done? A process as trivial as voting doesn't stop liberals; if liberals don't get their own way through a vote, obviously the rules will have to change to make voting redundant. The important thing is to discern what the spirit is saying to the church - the spirit of theological liberalism, that is.

Here is what the Council of General Synod (CoGS) unanimously agreed March 12 to send to the upcoming General Synod, a draft resolution prepared by the Commission on the Marriage Canon, changing the Anglican Church of Canada's law to pave the way for same-sex marriage.

"At the same time, however, CoGS said that while it is legally obliged by General Synod 2013's Resolution C003 to send the same-sex marriage motion to General Synod 2016, it has also considered "the possibility of other options."

"In a message to the church, CoGS said, "The General Synod may discern a legislative option is not the most helpful, and if so, we faithfully hope that through dialogue at General Synod an alternate way will emerge."

"CoGS did not indicate what these "other options" might be, but the message was clearly a response to an earlier statement it received from the House of Bishops that a vote to allow same-sex marriage was "not likely to pass in the Order of Bishops." In their statement to CoGS, the bishops had also questioned whether "a legislative procedure is the most helpful way" of dealing with the issue of gay marriage.

"In its statement to the church, CoGS also said, "We recommend the greatest pastoral response possible, allowing same-sex couples to be fully included in the life of our church with full and equal access to its liturgies and pastoral offices."

The wording of this last sentence was cause for much debate on the floor of the Council when it was presented to members for approval. The original draft had read, "We must permit the greatest pastoral response possible, allowing same-sex couples to be fully included in the life of our church with full and equal access to its liturgies and pastoral offices," and some CoGS members felt this came too close to telling General Synod how it should vote.

All this got up Archbishop Fred Hiltz's robes, and he brought forth that he is tired of talking about sex. "Hard to believe, I know", said Samizdat blogger David.

Here is what Hiltz said; "I long for a time in our church when there is as much attention and conviction and passion and voice and action from the rooftops about sexual exploitation, about gender-based violence, human trafficking for the sex trade, missing and murdered Indigenous women, pornography, religiously-based violence around the world, our violence against creation itself, and the greed and the reckless consumption that drives it."

The irony in all this is that Hiltz's wants to direct the passions of the Anglican Church of Canada towards things over which it has absolutely no influence, no control and no expertise in, while at the same time being unable to come to a decision on whether to change its own marriage canon -- something that has been a church's specialty for 2000 years.

A fitting parable of ecclesiastical impotence.

*****

The growing realignment in the Anglican Communion saw yet another move this week. The Diocese of South Carolina is considering affiliation with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Hail Mark, hail Foley.

The Diocese's Affiliation Task Force recommended the association during the 225th annual Diocesan Convention in Bluffton this weekend. Affiliation would require the Diocese to approve affiliation in two future conventions. More than 350 clergy and delegates representing 53 churches across the southern and coastal part of the state gathered for the convention.

Before affiliation, the Task Force will host meetings throughout the Diocese to brief clergy and church members about the benefits of affiliation, and ask questions about the possible move. You can read more in today's digest.

By contrast, the faux Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina got a visit from PB Curry this weekend, and considered what their options might be. Charles vonRosenberg is about to retire and a committee noted if the diocese (or what's left of it) wants a full-time bishop, it would require a diocesan budget of $800,000-$1,000,000, compared with the current 2016 budget of $471,737. That would mean most congregations would have to significantly increase what they are giving to support the diocese. Here are their options.
· Elect a part-time bishop.
· Continue with a part-time provisional bishop.
· Create a new diocese by re-unification with Upper South Carolina. This would require approval from both dioceses, but not General Convention approval, because historically the two entities were formed out of one diocese.

A little history might help. When the Diocese of Quincy collapsed after the orthodox bailed, the remnant liberals were merged into the Diocese of Chicago by Bishop Jeffrey Lee. One suspects that the fate of South Carolina will be the same.

*****

Rushing to judgement in sex abuse cases can prove both dangerous and destructive if the charges turn out not to be true. This is true in England where there is no statute of limitations, and guilt is presumed the moment a charge is made.

I have written about this in another case I am following, and now the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey has come out, slamming the Church of England for destroying the reputation of George Bell. An article by Rachel Millard, in the Argus newspaper, outlines Carey's anger at the destruction of the reputation of Bishop Bell, over a settled claim of child sex abuse.
Rachel or the girl was five at the time, and alleges she was abused by Bell.

Lord Carey said he was "appalled" at the way the church had treated the memory of the revered late wartime bishop, and was looking for "ways of re-opening" the case of the former head of the Church of England in Sussex.

Suggesting Bell had been 'crushed' by a 'powerful organization', Lord Carey said he had been denied the right to a fair trial and had questioned the church's approach, but been told to keep things 'low-key'.

Last October, the Church of England announced it had settled the claim, formally lodged in April 2014, after expert reports gave them "no reason to doubt" its veracity.

*****

Divided evangelicals can't agree, but the Lord will tell born-again Christians whom to vote for as they step into the polling booth, the Orlando Sentinel revealed this week. It's troubling how many politicians find religion, or avoid the topic during an election cycle. When Ronald Reagan swept the presidential election with a great evangelical turnout, thanks to the Moral Majority movement, it embedded a strategy in the Republican Party of moral standing right to this day.

Although solidly aligned once again, evangelicals are deeply divided over which candidate to choose in the GOP primaries. They're greatly alarmed that a pontificating, coarse businessman is leading the establishment candidates thus far. Donald Trump thunders at institutions and proven leaders alike. He wants to build gigantic border walls and tear thousands of immigrant families apart, regardless of their contribution to this society. He is an anathema to born-again Christians, who will not vote for him.

Ted Cruz has amassed a great following, but is mistrusted by his fellow Republicans due to his tea-party leanings.

You also see a shift to the center by many evangelicals due to the in-fighting and weaknesses of this current group of candidates. People are really nervous about more politicians freezing the government and accomplishing nothing. We're swiftly losing the identity of a Christian nation and losing sight of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Ask a born-again Christian whom he's going to vote for, and the answer will always be, "The Lord will tell me."

*****

The Rev. Dr. Albert Mohler on God's design for male and female. You can watch it here. Mohler is a Southern Baptist leader, and one of the sanest voices in American evangelicalism today. You can watch this video with total safety.
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/daily-video/2016/03/11/gods-design-for-male-female/

*****

So you want to know how "Obergefell" really happened. Without a doubt, Obergefell was crammed down our throats, as were all the lower court decisions that overturned 34 state laws and constitutional changes voted upon by citizens.

But, it is hard to see that Obergefell would have ever happened if the ground had not been prepared, if those five Supreme Court justices could not at least delude themselves into thinking that a great societal sea change had occurred.

Homosexuals like to give themselves credit for changing America's mind, that the ground for Obergefell was prepared by their personal interaction with everyday Americans, that they are in fact everywhere and just like us.

They argue that we changed our minds because of our own personal experiences with all the homosexuals we know personally; those we are friends with; our own sons, daughters, cousins, dads, and uncles who are happily, and charmingly, and certainly non-threateningly homosexual.
While it is plausible that Americans changed their minds about homosexuals, we certainly did not change our minds about their agenda, that is, marriage, adoption, and the revocation of religious freedom.

But all this mind-changing did not occur because of our personal interaction with individual homosexuals. According to the most reliable data from the Center for Disease Control, there are a few million--3.7 million to be exact--adult homosexuals in the United States. Each of these 3.7 million would have to be out and proud and, more than that, friends with an average of 63 other adults who are not same-sex attracted. Gays may be social, but they aren't that social.

So, how did all this happen? How did America supposedly become so cozy with the gays? Television, followed by news coverage, relentless, never ending news coverage of their every utterance and hangnail. You can read the full story in today's digest. Television has crippled the minds of millions of Americans. It is making them think in soundbites, and tweeting is only making it worse. We are raising a generation of thoughtless illiterates unable to think rationally or think at all about life and death issues. God help America.

*****

The unveiling of "An Evangelical Manifesto," in 2008, drafted by social critic and author Os Guinness, with the affirmation of a nine-person steering committee, is a document with a clear articulation of the gospel in the Reformation tradition, exhorting evangelicals to more faithfully live out the gospel in the culture as politically engaged followers of Jesus Christ. You can read it here: http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com/ or the full document here: http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com/docs/Evangelical_Manifesto.pdf
VOL believes it is the best statement on what it means to be an evangelical, especially in today's environment.

*****

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David

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