Throwing more gas onto a fire - but isn't it getting to be "self-immolation" time? - Granite Grok

Throwing more gas onto a fire – but isn’t it getting to be “self-immolation” time?

The process by which the American branch of the Anglican community is tearing apart the larger community has been chronicled here over the past few years here on the ‘Grok.  First starting when my state, NH, elected openly gay Gene Robinson as Bishop of the NH Episcopal Church, the ripples have been enormous in number and intensity.  Numerous churches have left the Episcopal Church, moved affiliations, gone to the Roman Catholic Church, membership and donations are way down, and the chaos will only get worse now:

Episcopal Church ordains 2nd openly gay bishop

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Seven years after the Episcopal Church caused an uproar by consecrating its first openly gay bishop, it has done the same thing again — only this time with a woman.

The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, of Baltimore, was ordained and consecrated on Saturday, making her the second openly gay bishop in church history and one of the first two female bishops in the Diocese of Los Angeles’ 114-year history.

The ceremony was at Long Beach Arena before 3,000 people, who burst into applause at the end, church spokesman Bob Williams said.

The Rev. Canon Diane M. Jardine Bruce, of San Clemente, Calif., was also ordained Saturday.

The two women were elected last December to serve as assistant bishops in the diocese’s six-county territory but conservative Episcopalians had urged the church not to ordain Glasspool. The decision to do so highlights a continued Episcopal commitment to accepting same-sex relationships despite enormous pressure from other Anglicans.

The Episcopal Church, which is the Anglican body in the United States, caused turmoil in the church in 2003 by consecrating the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Breakaway Episcopal conservatives have formed a rival church, the Anglican Church in North America.

Essentially, the American branch, like a petulant child, has just stuck a finger into the other eye of the Anglican church.  Decisions have consequences – what will the weak willed Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams do now?  And what will the Bible believing conservative do as well?

No matter who acts when, I’m betting that the current 77 million member roll is not going to stay at that number, as the liberal branch strays further from what has been traditionally recognized as orthodoxy. And to be sure, I have no "dog in this fight" as I am not Episcopalian.

It used to be about Gene Robinson….and now the Episcopal Church has now made the problem about it self (with respect to other world wide Anglicans).

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