Kendall Harmon on D025: Repealing B033 in Practice, and Failing in Courage and Honesty

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Having had a night to ponder and pray on it, this is my read of the attempt of D025. I think the reference in the floor debate to the "craft" of the resolution by the committee was revealing.

Whatever happened to principled theological liberalism [and blog readers know I do not like nor do I use this term]? If the House of Deputies leadership believes B033 should be repealed (and everyone knows that is the case), they should have the courage to repeal it.

They should also have the honesty to say what they are doing in unmistakably clear terms. The more frayed relationships get, and the more trust is in tatters, the more careful attention to precise communication matters.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • General Convention • TEC House of Deputies • * By Kendall

8 Comments
Posted July 13, 2009 at 6:24 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Creighton+ wrote:

Exactly, Kendall.

July 13, 7:52 am | [comment link]
2. Br. Michael wrote:

Honesty has been lacking for a long time.

July 13, 8:07 am | [comment link]
3. archangelica wrote:

Amen.

July 13, 8:12 am | [comment link]
4. Katherine wrote:

Yes, Dr. Harmon.  Thank you.

July 13, 8:17 am | [comment link]
5. David Wilson wrote:

Kendall
Have the diocese-by-diocese tallies been posted anywhere?  Since it was a votes by orders these should have been be available fairly quickly. 

David

July 13, 8:26 am | [comment link]
6. cmsigler wrote:

Funny you should mention it, Fr. Kendall.  Words derived from “craft” have come to me a number of times in considering some of the legislative items of GC09.

Clemmitt

July 13, 9:41 am | [comment link]
7. D. C. Toedt wrote:

Kendall, you know full well what the answer to your question is.  The liberals were smart not to do a frontal assault on B033 this go-around. They almost certainly would have lost big in the HoB; in contrast, with D025 they have at least a theoretical shot at winning, and an even better shot at a narrow loss, which itself would become ‘the story.’

From the liberal perspective, eking out a partial win today is far better than gloriously going down in flames in a hopeless quest for (what today is) the unattainable. With D025, the ‘frame’ for the story over the next three years can be one of defeat, but of gradual progress.

This is Politics 101, as I know you’re aware.  And remember that “politics” isn’t something dirty, it’s the highly-honorable and even holy art of reconciling, as best one can, the competing — and often-evolving — wishes of a diverse community of people.

July 13, 4:28 pm | [comment link]
8. Jeffersonian wrote:

This is Politics 101, as I know you’re aware.  And remember that “politics” isn’t something dirty, it’s the highly-honorable and even holy art of reconciling, as best one can, the competing — and often-evolving — wishes of a diverse community of people.

In TEC’s case, that “community” clearly includes Christ only in a peripherally referential capacity.

July 13, 4:35 pm | [comment link]
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