The best of British journalism?
We generally hesitate to call attention to misinformation from those waving their arms for attention, particularly a journalist, but sometimes it's necessary to call BS.
The journalist in question is Damien Thompson. Here's what he writes in his blog:
The Most Rev Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, has given a most revealing interview to the Houston Chronicle in which she says that Anglican churches in Africa have polygamous members and, um, that’s basically OK.
Here's what the PB actually said in that interview with the Houston Chronicle:
Q: Obviously, a major issue has been the schism over the ordination of gay and lesbian priests and bishops. Can you keep the church together if some people don't, in your view, respect what you see as full human rights?She is describing how African churches have chosen to deal with a very real problem in their context; where polygamy is legal and a polygamist wants to convert to Christianity, what do you do?
A: The church has struggled with inclusion from the very beginning. The first Christian fight was whether gentiles could be followers of Jesus. The history of the Episcopal church has been confronting a series of questions about who can be a full member of the church, beginning with African-American slaves. Could you teach slaves about the faith? Eventually, most places they decided yes. ... Could the church ordain women? That took longer. At the moment, we're still wrestling with full membership for gays and lesbians. The church isn't finished with that discussion.Q: How does that play in more conservative parts of the world? Do you follow one set of beliefs here, and other cultural values in other parts of the world?
A: That's really the name of the game with Anglicans. One of our primary issues during the Reformation was that worship had to be in a language the people could understand. We take context really seriously, because we take incarnation, the presence of God in the flesh, very seriously. He appears to us in different ways in places. I'll give you a contrasting example. In the 1980s, the Anglican community started to wrestle with the issue of polygamy in Africa. Polygamy is not an issue here, except in very small pockets of Utah and Arizona, and the church has taken a very different position. We said no. In Africa, the church doesn't officially recognize polygamy. They certainly have polygamous members of their churches. In some places, they say the man can't take additional wives once he becomes a Christian, but he isn't forced to divorce the wives he already has. The children generally are recognized as full members if they want to be baptized.
A side note concerning teaching the faith to slaves. From the laws of Virginia during the reign of Charles II:
ACT III.The law predates The Episcopal Church, but, as descendants of the Church of England, we'll credit for this generous inclusion.
An act declaring that baptisme of slaves doth not exempt them from bondage.
WHEREAS some doubts have risen whether children that are slaves by birth, and by the charity and piety of their owners made pertakers of the blessed sacrament of baptisme, should by vertue of their baptisme be made ffree; It is enacted and declared by this grand assembly, and the authority thereof, that the conferring of baptisme doth not alter the condition of the person as to his bondage or ffreedome; that diverse masters, ffreed from this doubt, may more carefully endeavour the propagation of christianity by permitting children, though slaves, or those of greater growth if capable to be admitted to that sacrament.
Look on the bright side: Damien Thompson is a spiteful religious chauvinist trying to make the PBs statements some sort of indictment of her moral sense (instead of an accurate description of how African Anglicans handled the problem, with the support of Lambeth), but at least he used her correct title and both last names.
Bill Dilworth
Posted by billydinpvd![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 27, 2011 2:02 PM
This is only "revealing" to a "journalist" incapable of doing research. Lambeth approved of what the PB describes over twenty years ago. (I was able to google it in seconds; perhaps Damien is using a typewriter.)
Resolution 1988.26: Church and Polygamy
This Conference upholds monogamy as God's plan, and as the ideal relationship of love between husband and wife; nevertheless recommends that a polygamist who responds to the Gospel and wishes to join the Anglican Church may be baptized and confirmed with his believing wives and children on the following conditions:
(1) that the polygamist shall promise not to marry again as long as any of his wives at the time of his conversion are alive;
(2) that the receiving of such a polygamist has the consent of the local Anglican community;
(3) that such a polygamist shall not be compelled to put away any of his wives, on account of the social deprivation they would suffer;
(4) and recommends that provinces where the Churches face problems of polygamy are encouraged to share information of their pastoral approach to Christians who become polygamists so that the most appropriate way of disciplining and pastoring them can be found, and that the ACC be requested to facilitate the sharing of that information.
Posted by tobias haller![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 27, 2011 2:50 PM