DAR2007: Three American Bishops move into closed session with Schori, Williams
By Canon Gary L'Hommedieu in Dar es Salaam
www.virtueonline.org
2/15/2007
At around 12 noon in the White Sands Hotel, the council of the Three American Bishops (Duncan, MacPherson, and Epting) were spirited away from the lobby of this hotel for the "long awaited" conference with the American Presiding Bishop and the Archbishop of Canterbury. I said "long awaited", because last evening the press was told that this meeting would be inserted "somewhere" in the busy agenda of the Primates' Meeting, but when or where no one knows; as if it were of tangential importance to the outcome of the meeting or to the contents of the deliberations as they unfold.
Clearly the press was being misled, or else the press handlers were misled by their own handlers within this over-organized, overly scrupulous press drama. Everything about the Primates' Meeting so far smacks of big news being pre-spun through official channels. Part of the spin is that all this controversy is really nothing.
But it is not the conservatives, nor the Third World Primates, nor anyone representing them, who is even visible on this official spin team. The nervousness of the orthodox is left to speculation. The frayed nerves of the First World power brokers is close to the surface. Indeed, their alleged calm is the "grid" through which the entire event is being spun.
Pittsburgh Bishop Bob Duncan was asked on his way out the door if he would be holding a press conference following the meeting. He said he was willing to talk to the press, thus respectfully acknowledging that he is not one of the Primates but was invited here by them to tell his story. He was saying that he will be willing to tell his story to the rest of the world as well.
There are some here who are going to great lengths not to tell their story too clearly, because if they did, all hell would break loose.
END
| Poster | Thread |
|---|---|
| doc4sale | Posted: 2007/2/15 12:05 Updated: 2007/2/15 12:06 |
Just can't stay away   Joined: 2006/1/1 From: Michigan Posts: 99 |
 Re: DAR2007: Three American Bishops move into closed sessionNevertheless...It's time for Bishop Duncan to pull his other foot completely out of TEc. As ++ Akinola said in Pittsburg, "you can't have it both ways....you must be in one camp or the other"
It's time, as we say in Michigan, to fish or cut bait ! Doc |
| ZachD | Posted: 2007/2/15 12:10 Updated: 2007/2/15 12:10 |
Home away from home   Joined: 2005/11/10 From: Posts: 1782 |
Re: DAR2007: Three American Bishops move into closed session The prayer of millions around the world is that the work of 'spin' would come to naught.
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| daveball | Posted: 2007/2/15 12:20 Updated: 2007/2/15 12:20 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2004/12/18 From: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2281 |
Re: DAR2007: Three American Bishops move into closed session LET THE SPIN BEGIN !!
Looking quickly at the first three posts from Dar Es Salaam, it is apparent that there is a huge and well planned effort to diffuse the issue of heresy on the part of the American and Canadian churches. So far, from available reports, this seems a study in "Propoganda 101". The process is as follows: 1. Isolate and encapsulate the offending position. Caste it as rigidly as possible and nail it solidly to one group. 2. Set up a parallel situation also tied to the offending group and claim that is evil, also. 3. Having restricted the first issue and built the second, expand the second as "of greater harm to the body politic". 4. Propose non-related issues and posit that these are really the issues that should be discussed and acted upon. It will be hard for the African Bishops to avoid admitting that hunger, poverty and AIDS are significant issues in their areas. The TEC apostacy is a North American problem. Boundry crossing affects the whole communion. Ergo, we should deal with eliminating boundary crossing, let the North Americans figure out their own problems, and get on to resolving hunger, posverty and the rest of the MDG. At least this seems to be the plan so far. The extension of the argument is to nullify the "seating issue" because, once there is some agreement on encapsulating the TEC heresy as TEC's problem, it is not a great stretch to envision the more marginal orthodox being willing to move on to including everyone in "broader" discussions - such as the MDG agenda. The few hard core primates willing to stand up to this nonsense then isolate themselves. Since power, even to those who eschew power, is important so they will either leave - a victory for the dark side - or stay and go along - a victory for the dark side. The only way that this strategy can be effectively countered is, from the start, for the orthodox primates to take a very hard and very firm stand. Reject any such proposed agenda, refuse to even begin the rest of the conference until doctrinal issues are dealt with, and refuse to even be in the same room with Schori. They should hold their own press conferences, disputing the liberal spin meisters. Maybe even adjourn to a parallel meeting. This. of course, is about as likely as snow in the Sahara. Let's see what happens from here. So far, there is little encouraging news. Blessings. |
| Romans828 | Posted: 2007/2/15 12:50 Updated: 2007/2/15 12:50 |
Home away from home Joined: 2006/6/27 From: Posts: 244 |
Re: DAR2007: Three American Bishops move into closed session The leadership of the ACC seems to be the clever rat we keep smellng.
The ACC is a creature of the Lambeth Conference of 1978. It sounds like it's time for the Primates to assert themselves over the ACC. |
| Cennydd | Posted: 2007/2/15 13:04 Updated: 2007/2/15 13:05 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2005/10/30 From: Los Banos, CA, Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin Posts: 6684 |
Re: DAR2007: Three American Bishops move into closed session Quote:
"There are some here who are going to great lengths not to tell their story too clearly, because if they did, all hell would break loose." Well, maybe they SHOULD "tell their stories too clearly!" Let's lay all of the cards clearly on the table and see who comes up the winner! Cennydd |
