In our posting on the "contract on the Episcopalians," we referenced a comment by the new Presiding Bishop about her disparagement of the importance of eternal life. It's probably worthwhile to reproduce that particular dialogue (ADG is the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; KJS is of course Katherine Jefferts-Schori): ADG: That reminds me of something else you said. …
Racial Attitudes: They Just Don’t Happen
The decidedly trashy outbursts--and frankly I can't think of another word to describe them--that some Brits have blurted out on their reality shows about non-white people are illuminating in two respects. First, it should put paid to the idea that Europeans are innately more "enlightened" on issues of race or any of the other politically …
The Baptismal Covenant: The Contract on the Episcopalians
In the agony that the slow separation of the Anglican Communion has become, one issue that has come up has been the business of the "baptismal covenant" that appears in TEC's 1979 prayer book. This problem was discussed in an excellent article by Peter Toon, but it seems that there are broader issues here to …
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The Ten Weeks Now Available
The Ten Weeks, the prequel to our fictional series The Island Chronicles, is now available. It is set on the Island, but it is different in many ways from the Chronicles. You can click here to find out more and to order.
Forget About the Guilt March. Just Give Them the Communion.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York participated in a much publicised "guilt march" across the UK about the evil of slavery. But there's an easier and more substantial way to even the score: just let the Africans and their allies, including the descendants of slaves in the West Indies, take the lead in the Communion. …
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Campaign 2008: Where It Ends Depends on Where the Candidates Started
The 2008 Presidential campaign has been underway since 2004, but only now has the list of candiates begun to congeal. So how to winnow things down? We've griped about the fact that Ronald Reagan was the last President that wasn't a product of an Ivy League school, either as an undergraduate, a graduate, or both. …
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It’s Not About Freedom Any More
The rather plaintive letter from the Rev. Mark Lawrence trying to explain why his departure from California to take his post as the new Bishop of South Carolina is being delayed is a sad commentary both on TEC and the left-wing boomers that presently dominate its leadership. His explanation of the process is about as …
Create Your Own Anglican Communion Network
A little over a week ago, we called for a new "instrument of unity" by suggeting that the orthodox Anglican groups put together a "new" prayer book for their own use. In the interest of balance, this week we're going to look a an "instrument of division" by showing how you can create your own …
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The Passing of Briny Breezes
There has been a lot of publicity about the apparently "done deal" concerning the sale of South Florida's most illustrious trailer park, namely Briny Breezes. The idea that people would get $US1,000,000 for a trailer has a lot of mobile home dwellers envious. But there are some important economic forces behind his as well that …
More Troops in Iraq? For What?
There are three good reasons why increasing troop strength in Iraq is counterproductive for U.S. interest, to say nothing of anyone else's. The first is the current nature of the U.S. military. After the end of the Cold War, structural changes took place to make the U.S. military more flexible for smaller threats in more …
Positive Infinity 