THE LIMITS OF INTOLERANCE

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
6/2/2007

If you believe the rhetoric of the Progressive Episcopalian movement, orthodox Episcopalians are "intolerant", "arrogant", "irrational", "abhorrent", "scapegoaters", "exclusionary", "narrow imperial ideologues", "Neo-Puritan", "fascist", "fundamentalist", "narrow-minded/totalitarian", "de-legitimizers", "extremists", "prevaricators", "bigots" and "un-Anglican".

Those are the words of the Rev. Nigel Taber-Hamilton, a priest in the Diocese of Olympia, and a deputy to General Convention Those are the words of the Rev. Nigel Taber-Hamilton, a priest in the Diocese of Olympia, a deputy to General Convention and a leader of the so-called Episcopal Majority, a group dedicated to expunging orthodoxy from the Episcopal Church in the name of tolerance.

In an article titled "The Limits of Tolerance", Mr. Hamilton accuses remnant orthodox Episcopalians, such as the American Anglican Council, the Anglican Communion Network, Forward in Faith North America, and, most recently, the "Convocation of Anglicans in North America" (Archbishop of Nigeria Peter Akinola's extra-territorial "Nigerian" mission to the U.S.A.), of well-planned and organized attempts to bring about the replacement demise of the Episcopal Church as the U.S. embodiment of Anglicanism.

He writes; "Until now we have not prepared well to face this assault. And so we have been blinded to this narrow totalitarian vision seeping into our nation's and our faith's - and even our Communion's - DNA. It is a vision that threatens to destroy our open North American society and emerging Christian identity."

He then launches into a tirade about those who would uphold the faith against its cultured despisers, "The truth is beginning to dawn on us, however: toleration has its limits. Unlimited tolerance will lead to the end of tolerance, for the tolerant will be stamped out, leaving only the extremists. A tolerance that is unlimited in scope and boundary-less in expression represents a fundamental error of judgment on our part."

"The canaries in the Anglican coal mine are our gay brothers and lesbian sisters and their supporters, attacked with increasing vehemence by the shrill voice of conservatism. Having spent the last 30 years berating and seeking to marginalize various ethnic minorities and women, conservative rhetoric condemning gays and lesbians has reached an Inquisitional pitch. If we are not alarmed by this trend, the liberating teachings of Christ will succumb to the religious fascism of our age."

Mr. Hamilton berates progressive Episcopalians for their failure to believe that the "application of reason" to the current conflict will "prove effective in convincing our opponents of the correctness of our cause." He then says that this is not only false but that it is time to fight back.

"These neo-Puritans are focusing intently on the destruction of tolerance's foundational values. Our demise would result in the success of their narrow and puritanical agenda within the broader Church, and herald a similar victory over the open society of our North American culture."

Mr. Hamilton then outlines a six-point plan to save The Episcopal Church.

* Keep the faith. We must continue on the pathway of diversity and inclusion begun with the ordination of women and the Book of Common Prayer 1979 in partnership with all of our members.

* Be clear that we will abandon no one, and especially not those minorities who have, historically, been oppressed by the Church.

* Be firm that, while we welcome everyone on this journey, we will not allow bigotry or threat to destroy this emerging vision of Christian faith in light of a God who makes all things new.

* Be vigorous in preserving the institutional integrity of the Episcopal Church, including taking immediate legal action when any attempt is made to alienate the real property of our denomination, encouraging every bishop and Standing Committee to do the same.

* Resist all attempts by some in our Communion to impose an un-Anglican institutional vision upon us and our fellow Anglicans worldwide, including opposing any Anglican "Covenant" or curial instruments, as threats to the faith on which our institutions are based.

* End the prevaricating, and, instead, organize, network, communicate with each other, speak out, and act.

What's wrong with this picture? A little history is in order.

WOMEN'S ORDINATION. When the issue of women's ordination was brokered into the Episcopal Church it was done not on the basis of sound theological reflection, but on the back of the civil right's movement. It was done with the understanding that those bishops who disagreed would not be forced to comply and that their consciences would be respected. If you haven't kept up with the news then you should know that those days are long gone, and now it is MANDATORY for all bishops to ordain women or face possible presentment and expulsion from the HOB. Dioceses like Ft. Worth and Quincy had to cut deals with neighboring dioceses to allow Special arrangements for women were made with neighboring dioceses so that bishops could, to keep their consciences from being totally violated.

The one notable exception in recent years was the election and consecration of the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Steenson, Bishop of the Rio Grande, who does not believe in women's ordination. He got the green light from then Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold on the understanding he would play ball with liberals in the HOB. Ironically, that may not work out as planned since Steenson is showing some testosterone in how he is dealing with orthodox parishes that want to flee his jurisdiction and the Episcopal Church. (His diocese recently passed motions demanding alternative oversight for parishes fleeing TEC). http://tinyurl.com/2hb88k

Can one doubt that it is only a matter of time when the ordination of pansexual priests, now already accepted, will go from optional to mandatory by The Episcopal Church and any bishop who refuses to ordain such a person, (as it will be deemed a justice issue not a moral one), will be labeled a traitor to the HOB and find himself excluded or fail to receive consents?

TOLERANCE. For more than 30 years the orthodox have been acquiescent to the point of nausea, tolerating the innovations of the Episcopal Church. So many lines in the sand have been drawn. One endless prevaricating language game after another has been played. Resolutions of one sort or another demanding that the faith be kept have been issued. The orthodox have been pushed to the very edge of the Episcopal Church.

Just look at the effort, albeit vain, by Bishop Keith Ackerman (Quincy) to get the Episcopal Church to pass a simple resolution (B001) affirming the authority of Scripture and basic tenets of the Christian faith. Mr. Hamilton and his gang of "tolerant" priests would not vote for it, (too exclusionary). Hamilton is accusing the orthodox remnant of intolerance because he won't uphold what he swore to uphold when he became a priest.

Was it tolerant to pass D039, which legitimized and ratified fornication at the 75th General Convention while bitterly opposing the passage of Lambeth Resolution 1.10 affirming the sacredness of sex within heterosexual marriage, or the passage of resolution B033, which called on bishops to "exercise restraint" by not consenting to the consecration of future gay bishops? Right after that we got V. Gene Robinson. Or what about the Windsor Report, which said that homosexuality, was "incompatible with Scripture" and disapproved of the blessing of same-sex unions?

It is not just the orthodox within TEC that urges caution and restraint; the vast majority of Anglicans worldwide have called for the same restraint, time and time again. From one primatial meeting to the next, from Brazil to Dromantine, from London to Tanzania the message has been the same - don't go beyond what Holy Scripture will allow or you will jeopardize your place in the Anglican Communion and your very souls.

Why in heavens name would African Archbishops, who had the gospel brought to them by Anglican missionary evangelists from England who told them very explicitly what salvation is and what it entails, forfeit it all by affirming sodomy - a behavior they believe, along with St. Paul, will jeopardize their place in the Kingdom of God. What fools would they be to play with loaded dice at a crap table when the odds of winning are zero?

The slow incremental take over of The Episcopal Church has been well documented. Mr. Hamilton can scream all he wants, but he and Louie Crew, Jack Spong and now 90 percent of the House of Bishops are on board with the Episcopal Church's new religion - right down to electing a woman Presiding Bishop which is so in-your-face to the majority of Anglicans who don't believe in the ordination of women to the priesthood let alone a female Presiding Bishop.

Mr. Hamilton has one objective: he wants to hammer into the ground a remnant of faithful priests and laity who have been steam rolled over by a bunch of fascist bishops. The most notable of these is Charles E. Bennison who cannot even stand the sight of orthodox priests like Fr. David Ousley and Fr. David L. Moyer, barely tolerates evangelicals like Fr. Greg Brewer, and who cannot affirm certain basic Christian doctrines while demanding complete fealty and obedience only medieval popes have sought to obtain. Look what history did to them!

Mr. Hamilton wants us to keep the faith, not THE Faith, but his version of the faith, which includes "the pathway of inclusion and diversity". Really. For orthodox folk "inclusion" is a pathway to hell, so why should they jump on that bandwagon, pray tell?

This is come as you are, stay as you are, repentance not necessary. True diversity is not about women or blacks in the church. Orthodox parishes have as good a sprinkling of both in my experience as do liberal parishes. Homosexuals and lesbians can be found in a large number of congregations including orthodox ones, but they are not breaking down the doors to get in despite Louie Crew and Bishop Robinson's belief that they would. With only 1.4 percent of the national population officially homosexual, Episcopal Church statistics reflect only slightly more than that.

Despite Mr. Hamilton's cry, no orthodox Episcopal parish has "abandoned" or not welcomed anyone into their congregations. Homosexuals and lesbians are self-discriminating when it comes to parishes THEY choose to attend. Why go to a parish that preaches a gospel of repentance when you can go to one that affirms your aberrant sexual behavior!

Mr. Hamilton says that we should "welcome everyone on this journey, we will not allow bigotry or threat to destroy this emerging vision of Christian faith in light of a God who makes all things new." Now that all depends on what journey or road you happen to be on. If it is the narrow way which leads to light, life, and salvation, that's one thing. If it is the broad road which leads to personal self-destruction, that is quite another. The truth is bigotry has become the domain of liberals and revisionists.

This past week VOL faced a case of pure fear and intimidation by a revisionist bishop when this writer sought information from the Diocese of Missouri. Two remaining orthodox priests were approached and both refused to assist. One said, "I don't want to get involved" while the other party said, "We don't have any pertinent information to share with you." Those were the nicest words they said. Why? Because Bishop George Wayne Smith has let it be known that he monitors VirtueOnline and the Midwest Conservative Journal, a blog that exposes what is going on in the Episcopal Church. Watch out if your name appears on it. That's intimidation.

DIVERSITY AND BIGOTRY. Revisionist bishops will not allow ordinands to attend Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry for fear of spiritual contamination, or take TESM's ordinands into their dioceses - young evangelical men and women filled with the Holy Spirit who will preach the life saving message of Jesus and fill churches. How does Mr. Hamilton explain liberal Episcopal parishes that are emptying while departing parishes fill borrowed halls, borrowed churches and the occasional synagogue? Can he explain why the average age of Episcopalians is in the mid 60s and the average size of a congregation is in the lows 70s!!!

Is Mr. Hamilton blind to the fact that tens of thousands of Evangelical Episcopalians have left and continue to leave the Episcopal Church each week because Bishop Robinson's manner of life is being thrust down their throats as a "wholesome example" when they know in their guts it is not, and don't want their children exposed to his lifestyle!

Mr. Hamilton wants liberal bishops to come down hard on priests and parishes that want to keep their properties. "Be vigorous in preserving the institutional integrity of the Episcopal Church, including taking immediate legal action when any attempt is made to alienate the real property of our denomination, encouraging every bishop and Standing Committee to do the same," he writes.

Parishes that were built by the labor, sweat and dollars of parishioners should blithely turn them over to a bishop and national church that never built a single parish because of the Dennis Canon, according to Mr. Hamilton. He should have a word with the Rev. Don Armstrong about that kind of thinking. The National Church is a taker not a giver. It has never laid a single foundation stone of a parish and , expects a tithe to promote a mission conservatives don't believe in. Protesters are told to either take a hike, and face inhibition and deposition or stay and conform.

Fellow liberals and revisionists are asked by Mr. Hamilton to assist in all attempts to impose an un-Anglican institutional vision upon us and our fellow worldwide Anglicans. He wants us to oppose any Anglican "Covenant" or curial instruments, which he says are threats to the faith upon which our institutions are based.

Now what faith is that exactly? It is certainly not the faith of Thomas Cranmer or J.C. Ryle or N. T. Wright, or of John Keble, John Henry Newman or Edward Bouverie Pusey. Hamilton's "faith" is that of Spong and Countryman, Louie Crew and Steven Charleston and various other theological illuminati of the left who long ago abandoned any semblance of the "'faith once delivered to the saints."' Anything that smacks of orthodoxy like Resolution 1:10 or Covenants or Windsor Reports that proscribe homosexual activity must be expunged from the record and joyful pan sexuality must be free to reign like the great god Pan and Sufi the Rumi.

End the prevaricating, and, instead, organize, network, communicate with each other, speak out, and act, says Hamilton. Oh Mr. Hamilton, you and they have been doing that for over 30 years. You have all but won the cultural wars. You have taken over the Episcopal Church's seminaries, most of its bishops have rolled over to your way of thinking, the pulpits are filled (even as the pews empty) with your people, the media levers (Episcopal Life and nearly all the Diocesan publications) are controlled by liberals, the purse strings have been in your grip since the reign of Edmund Browning, and you have driven all but a tiny and fearful minority out of The Episcopal Church. Only a handful of orthodox dioceses remain, and if my sources are correct, they won't be around much longer.

Come Oct. 1, Mr. Hamilton will begin to see a slow but steady exodus from the Episcopal Church. The less than 800,000 remaining practicing Episcopalians, a mere speck on the backside of global Anglicanism compared to provinces like Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya, will evaporate even further. The orthodox are fleeing even as we speak. Your prescription for total control will be a hollow victory. Your "tolerance" will have triumphed.

You have made your own Procrustean bed of intolerance, Mr. Hamilton, and you will have to lie in it.

END