Further News from Montreal SEM vote- defeated.

27Oct08

An amendment was moved to study the effect of SEM on Anglican episcopal theology and delay any action until the report was brought before Synod.  It was correctly pointed out that no such amendment was allowed to Motion L allowing same-sex blessings, so none should be attached to this motion.  That amendment was narrowly defeated.

 I think that the writing was on the wall that the motion to allow SEM might pass if it were voted on by the whole synod.

When the question was called, it was moved to be voted on in houses and was defeated in the house of clergy by the so-called “liberals”.

I was later told “don’t give up, it will probably pass at the provincial synod,”  but if Montreal does not listen to the General Synod, the House of Bishops and the Primate,  why would it listen to the Provincial Synod?

Now comes the second guessing- should we have even brought SEM for a vote?  The Primate assured everyone that it was available for those who request it.  Perhaps we could have just claimed the right when it went through.

What it did do was take the temperature of the diocese on their level of grace, generosity and creativity. Their ability to think outside the box on this issue as well as their own, to love even one’s enemies.  Their temperature was 0.

The Bottom Line- you are not wanted unless you agree with the party line on SSB’s and no allowance for other points of view, however minor, will be entertained.

So much for tolerance, so much for “drawing the circle wide,” so much for reaching out to the oppressed and marginalized. 

At one point a member of synod got up and said that even though he was a gay man who has been married to his partner for 4 years, and even though he thought that the motion “institutionalized hatred”, he would vote for it, if it meant that he and his partner could be blessed.   Hmmmmm, the “institutionalizing hatred” comment was bad enough, but “institutionalizing hatred” for everyone else, so that he and his partner could be blessed by God? 

God help us.

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