The Work of the Evil One

I'm pleased to post this photo with Bishop Griswold, when he visited our diocese in early 2006. I post this in full awareness that the Bullies on Viagra and the Virtueless One believe he's the AntiChrist. But back in 2006, he was the one voice holding firm for the faithfulness of TEC. And I observe that he's really photogenic, whereas I am the opposite thereof.

Writing this piece about Bishop Ingham's statement reminded me of an insightful post from the Admiral of Morality: The Work of the Evil One. He begins:

Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold on more than one occasion characterized the disputes over sex in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion as the work of the Evil One. It may be impossible to state with any certainty that Bishop Griswold was correct in his view but there can be no doubt that he was certainly on the right track.

Consider for a moment the words and actions of so many of the Episcopal dissidents. Though they consider themselves to be acting in righteous indignation, by their fruits we know them. In Virginia and other places, often with the aid of overseas bishops who consider themselves equally righteous, they have proceeded with lies, subterfuge, and doublespeak, along an arc of division and hostility. That they consider themselves in the right, does not alter that they proceed with lies, subterfuge, and doublespeak, along an arc of division and hostility.

Also in this country, the bishops of Pittsburgh, Fort Worth and San Joaquin regularly insist they are doing nothing to divide our Church yet work actively and vocally, to foster this very thing. Their relishing of hostility and confrontation and their eagerness to heap scorn, and their lies, are perverse. That they remain bishops of our church is an outrage.

The Admiral has no problem naming the lies. Bishop Ingham has no problem naming the lies. When – oh when? – will the bishops of the Episcopal Church summon the courage to do the same? So far, all I see from our bishops is their dastardly cowardice (most recently in New Orleans) or their willingness to engage in litigation. I am glad they are working to protect our churches. But we are engaged with true evil. I think it's time for our Presiding Bishop and the rest of our bishops to start calling it what it is: evil, and the very opposite of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.