18 May 2010

The Spirit is moving

The house of bishops in England has issued a statement about the upcoming vote to admit women to the English episcopate. Opponents have realized for some time that they do not have the votes to stop the change. Their strategy has had three thrusts
  • The church needs a new male only clergy based province.
  • We will all leave if you do this.
  • This should not be done now, it needs more debate and delay.

The "third province" idea which is schism with benefits for those leaving was always DOA. And increasingly there has been a sense that the idea of leaving is either a done deal -- some just will leave or it is a bluff. Either way it is blackmail and not a sale. That leaves delay as the only arrow in the quiver.

The key paragraph from the statement today is
The House is aware that there are those who believe that the present legislative process does not have the potential to lead to a satisfactory conclusion and that a better outcome is more likely to be achieved in some years’ time. Most members of the House consider, however, that it is crucial to keep faith with the present process. They see no grounds for believing that the issues with which the Church is grappling will become significantly easier to resolve with the passage of time.
That as the saying goes is that. Dr. Williams has publicly been among those trying to delay the move to death. The house as is the archbishop I am sure, aware of one of my favorite quotes from Machiavelli, "Delay is the deadliest form of denial." Dr. Williams also seems determined at least at this remove, to send all the problems he can to his successor.

Not this time. This time they will vote in July.

The Spirit will blow where it will and soon we shall see. Of course Forward in Faith and the other conservatives know what God would do if he had all the facts so they won't accept a vote they loose. So be it. One can only move on.

FWIW
jimB

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