The offical new Episcopalian bishop of New Hampshire was installed yesterday. In case you haven’t noticed he’s “the church’s first openly gay bishop.” Interestingly enough, most news coverage leaves out that little word openly which makes it an entirely different story.
Naturally, vividly covering the uproar over “the church’s first gay bishop” makes opponents of the elevation look like a bunch of backwards gazing, 16th century neaderthals. Toss in the word “openly” though and you’ve got an entirely different story. Now, the fellow is not just gay – which any reasonable person must allow for and tolerate – he’s openly gay, which means he’s actively gay. Which, unfortunately for him, is quite clearly proscribed by the very Word he claims to profess.
It’s a hell of a mess. I would not begrudge a gay man elevation to whatever office his talents suit him for. I would not even begrudge an “openly” gay man his station – that is to say a man who is open and clear about his sexual preferences without acting on them. Where I take exception is in elevating a man, who lives with another man, who is quite clear about his nocturnal activities to the status of Bishop. I think it sets a bad example, not least in that it is directly contrary to the literal word of the Bible. This may be alright for someone in public office or the business world but surely a shepherd of the flock ought to adhere to both the spirit and letter of the law?
It may be that his new station will draw people to the Episcopalian church, impressed by its tolerance and desirous of a “safe” place to worship. It’s more likely that the sort of people this act might be expected to draw are pretty well uninterested in organized religion of any kind and so, rather than drawing in new people it’s likely to alienate those already in the church. I’d reckon that most folks who profess and practice a creed are relatively traditional types of people in this day and age, and the brave new world ushered in by the new Bishop of New Hampshire is not likely to appeal to them. Nor, for that matter, is the church which brought such a world into existence.