Hi, Jeri -
Musket was responding to a previous message where I addressed him. But Musket, I DID read what you said. I, too, would like the churches to bless gay marriage. But many of them would destroy their fragile unity if they did so, so they have to delay until they achieve consensus. You see it as appeasing bigotry. I see it as accepting the reality that many church members are not ready to accept and bless homosexual marriages. My thought is that if we wait and nudge gently, those people will come along eventually, and we will achieve consensus without destroying unity.

Several Episcopalian dioceses in the United States have seceded from the church because of their reluctance to accept ordination of homosexuals, and so the church is in a nasty state of schism. In those dioceses that seceded, the whole right-wing agenda has become dominant, and there is little room left for progressives. The American Methodists are also on the brink of schism, although it looks like they're working out a fairly nice compromise. And Patsy, when Anglicans flee to the Roman church, they add to the power of ultraconservative forces that are making it very uncomfortable for us progressive Catholics.

So, it's not a simple matter of simply saying that gay marriage and ordination of gays and women is the right thing no matter what. Churches exist in a delicate balance, and rapid change can polarize and destroy what once was a viable unity. Gays will NEVER be able to marry or be ordained in the U.S. Anglican dioceses that have seceded from the Episcopal Church.

-Joe-