I guess I've made the big time now, as I'm officially "banned by Jake" at Father Jake Stops the World (http//:frjakestopstheworld.blogspot.com). Jake is an unrepentant revisionist/progressive/reappraiser, whose main weakness is an inability to keep from taking an argument personally. If he feels that he is getting the worst of an argument, woops, you're gone! If you support the progressive agenda, and agree with Jake, or only mildly disagree, then you are OK. However, if you do not, well, look out. He is much more likely to ban someone than are the elves at Titusonenine or the commenatrix at Stand Firm. Now, I must say that a lot of what I may say, and the way I say it here, would get me warned at T19 or SF, or result in comments being deleted. I am likely to call a gay person a fag, poof, queer, or sodomite, or anyone who deserves it a gobspit. I give credit for my colorful vocabulary to my years in the Army, especially my assignments in Infantry Divisions. I firmly believe that the major cause of stress is the mind overriding the body's basic need to choke the living feces out of some anus who richly deserves it. Now, lets be clear here, I make a distinction between people, all God's chilluns, and their behavior. Fr. Jake (real name: Terry Martin) as a person is deserving of respect and love, and our prayers. On the other hand, he plays the ass with astonishing regularity. SF has a poster, taomikael, who plays the ass all the time. He acts a right gobspit with most every post; a close second is merseymike, another sod who claims not to be Christian, yet hangs out at a reasserting blog playing the troll and the ass as well. Since they are courteous when posting their drivel and spit, then they get to stay. Terebinth I haven't quite figured out, since he is all over the map on his posts, but he is another who acts a gobspit often.
So far I haven't decided whether or not I will surf blogs for interesting material to post and praise or damn. Posts from people who support TEC and its leadership are easy to damn, and I'll undoubtedly enjoy it. So, if I say some one is an ass or gobspit, that just means that he or she is acting like one. I think ad hominem attacks are despicable, so if I can't argue with someone, I won't call them a name, unless I already have ex ante. I won't do it to come out on top in an argument.
Which brings me to responding to posts. I may or may not. I may or may not keep an archive of discussions. It depends on how busy I am and whether I think it's worthwhile. IOW, if the marginal costs exceeds the marginal benefits, then tough noogies. I am the boss here, and I decide. If you don't like it, well, I reckon you don't like it.
By the way, my favorite two blogs are T19 and SF, followed by Drell's Descants and Transfigurations. The Midwest Conservative Journal is in a class of its own. Lots of good stuff there, and readers can expect reasoned discourse. Me, I like reasoned discourse, but I have less patience than those folks do.
Peace, love and joy! Tomorrow ++Peter J. Akinola will install +Martyn Minns as missionary bishop for the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), in spite of her squidness and the ABC both asking him not to. I must say, the Archbishop has a set.

What about this blog?

This might be the hardest part, trying to describe what I intend to accomplish, other than pleasing myself by expressing honest opinions. I'm not sure that the world needs another reasserting Episcopalian blogger, but here I am. This as a selfish endeavor, to be sure. I plan to be up front about my opinions and feelings, so several readers (assuming that there are any) will be deeply offended. Tough. I have read the US Constitution, and I find no right to not be offended. I read once that Martin Luther was known to argue points of theology loudly and in vulgar street language. He was a passionate man, no doubt. I will probably use some salty language to describe people and situations who I believe richly deserve it. I will also praise people who deserve it.
I am a traditionalist, reasserting Episcopalian. I joined the church at my wife's encouragement. She has been Episcopalian since adolescence, and, I must admit that the beauty of the worship was what first attracted me. I grew up in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and love worship in a liturgical church. I read the Articles of Faith, noted that Episcopalians used the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, so I thought it would be a short leap from LCMS to TEC. Apostolic succession, while not scriptural, is still a neat thing, and the idea of bishops is neat,too. I have always been drawn to Roman Catholic liturgy (especially the Tridentine Rite, pre Vatican II) and its hierarchy, but I can't abide a number of doctrinal issues. Pardon me for digressing. I found out a few years ago that the church I joined didn't exist. TEC is a shadow of what it has been, both in terms of membership and influence in the USA, and its practices. TEC, since Bp. Pike, Bp. Righter, and Bp. Sping, Women's Ordination, and the 1979 BCP, has watered down its teachings and by now has become more like the Unitarian-Universalist church with liturgy. There are bright spots here and there, especially the Anglican Communion Network, the American Anglican Council, Forward in Faith- North America, and the Dioceses of Ft. Worth, San Joacquin, Quincy, South Carolina, Dallas, among others. There are parishes trying to maintain orthodox teaching and worship in the midst of heterodoxy, in dioceses led by apostate and heretic bishops. In fact, the presiding bishop of TEC is exposed by her own words as a heretic, espousing at least three in her first interviews as PB: pelagianism, gnosticism, and syncretism. Whenever I hear her speak or read what she has written, I am reminded of the old SNL routine, when Dan Akroyd would say to Jane Curtin "Jane, you ignorant slut!"
I don't recognize the pb, or any female "bishop", for that matter, of having valid orders. Therefore, when I refer to the pb by name, I'll use her academic title, Dr. , as she has an earned Ph.D.in marine biology. I may even call her the "squishop" or "her squidness", as her speciality was squids.
I don't think that traditionalists or reasserters in the blogosphere could have asked for a better choice for pb, or "the gift that keeps on giving".
In fact, I'm not sure she even has a clue. I suspect that her chancellor, David Booth Beers, really runs things. Pluriform Frank Griswold ("the Grizz"), her prececessor kept a leash on DBB, but it appears our Kate is putty in his hands. Speculating further, Louis Crew, or "Queen Lutibelle", founder of Integrity (the fag lobby in TEC)is probably an eminence gris to the pb-ess, pulling some strings himself.
I will surf blogs and post items of interest here, always with source attribution, and make a few editorial comments. Watch this space.

You can't make this stuff up...

from here:

I am writing this letter with my prayers for you and for the entire worldwide Anglican Communion from a fellow child of Christ.

I understand from press reports you are planning to come to the United States to install Martyn Minns as a bishop in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. I strongly urge you not to do so.

First, such action would violate the ancient customs of the church which limits the episcopal activity of a bishop to only the jurisdiction to which the bishop has been entrusted, unless canonical permission has been given. Second, such action would not help the efforts of reconciliation that are taking place in the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion as a whole. Third, such action would display to the world division and disunity that are not part of the mind of Christ, which we must strive to display to all.

I would carefully ask that you reconsider your plans to come to this country for this purpose. This request stems from the hope and vision of reconciliation which was the mind of the primates as we met in Tanzania.

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

And Archbishop Akinola responds, here, and here:

My dear Presiding Bishop:

My attention has been drawn to your letter of April 30^th ostensibly written to me but published on the Episcopal News Service website.

In light of the concerns that you raise it might be helpful to be reminded of the actions and decisions that have led to our current predicament.

At the emergency meeting of the Primates in October 2003 it was made clear that the proposed actions of the Episcopal Church would “tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level, and may lead to further division on this and further issues …” Sadly, this proved to be true as many provinces did proceed to declare broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church. Since that time the Primates have established task forces, held numerous meetings and issued a variety of statements and communiqués but the brokenness remains, our Provinces are divided, and so the usual protocol and permissions are no longer applicable.

You will also recall from our meeting in Dar es Salaam that there was specific discussion about CANA and recognition – expressed in the Communiqué itself – of the important role that it plays in the context of the present division within your Province. CANA was established as a Convocation of the Church of Nigeria, and therefore a constituent part of the Communion, to provide a safe place for those who wish to remain faithful Anglicans but can no longer do so within The Episcopal Church as it is currently being led. The response for your own House of Bishops to the carefully written and unanimously approved Pastoral Scheme in the Communiqué makes it clear that such pastoral protection is even more necessary.

It is my heartfelt desire – and indeed the expressed hope of all the Primates of the Communion – that The Episcopal Church will reconsider its actions – and make such special measures no longer necessary. This is the only way forward for full restoration into fellowship with the rest of the Communion. Further, I renew the pledge that I made to your predecessor, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, that the Church of Nigeria will be the first to restore communion on the day that your Province abandons its current unbiblical agenda. Until then we have no other choice than to offer our assistance and oversight to our people and all those who will not compromise the “faith once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3)

You speak in your letter of centuries old custom regarding diocesan boundaries. You are, of course, aware that the particular historical situation to which you make reference was intended to protect the church from false teaching not to prevent those who hold to the traditional teaching of the church from receiving faithful episcopal care. It was also a time when the Church had yet to face into the challenge of different denominational expressions of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I also find it curious that you are appealing to the ancient customs of the church when it is your own Province’s deliberate rejection of the biblical and historic teaching of the Church that has prompted our current crisis.

You mention the call to reconciliation. As you well know this is a call that I wholeheartedly embrace and indeed was a major theme of our time in Tanzania. You will also remember that one of the key elements of our discussion and the resulting Communiqué was the importance of resolving our current differences without resorting to civil law suits. You agreed to this. Yet it is my understanding that you are still continuing your own punitive legal actions against a number of CANA clergy and congregations. I fail to see how this is consistent with your own claim to be working towards reconciliation.

Once again please know that I look forward to the day when this current crisis is behind us and we can all be reunited around our One Lord and only Saviour Jesus the Christ. Until then be assured of my prayers for you and The Episcopal Church.

In Christ,

SIGNED
The Most Revd. Peter J Akinola, CON, DD Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of all Nigeria Yesiree, Bob. +Kate is the gift that keeps on giving - to the traditionalist/reasserter bloggers. As I said, you just can't make this stuff up.

After the Ball

After the ball is over, what then? The punch is all gone, the champagne stale, and the streamers have all fallen to the floor. The band has already packed up and gone, and there you are in your tuxedo or ball gown, left to contemplate the remains of the evening. I think that perhaps the Episcopal Church's leadership will feel that way come October 1, or at least by Lambeth 2008. Only, it is likely that they will be trying to get into the Lambeth ballroom, all dressed up and no place to go. Their party is over, and they can't get into the next one. The high priestess, (her squidness), and the court jester, the poofter with a pointy hat, will be standing there at the door, and the bouncer says, "Sorry, if you don't have an invitation, I can't let you in. You don't have an invitation. If you don't move on out of the way, I'll have to call security." And there they will be, wilted flowers and all.