More Double Standards

[Note (01.05.07): I've slightly edited the last paragraph today, to make it a little more clear and to delete a couple of the more angry adjectives.]

In her BBC interview, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori "called" the Anglican Communion on its hypocrisy. She said there were other gay bishops besides Gene Robinson, and expressed curiosity about why some primates of the Anglican Communion were declaring war on the Episcopal Church.

No, those were not her words. Hers were much more irenic. But they were the message I heard. That very day, the "conservative" blogs went a-howling. They said she had lied. They defied her to submit proof that there were any other gay bishops in the Anglican Communion. They shrieked and howled and screamed that there were no other sexually active gay bishops – that Gene Robinson was the only "deviant" in the entire, worldwide Anglican Communion.

Several folks weighed in on those discussions, saying that they indeed knew of other gay bishops. But no one – not one – was willing to name names. And not a single one of the gay/lesbian bishops has been willing to be honest about it.

Meanwhile, one very brave blogger, Dennis, today gave the lie to the fantasy that there are no other gay bishops, based on his own knowledge and experience. Dennis "outs" the Bishop of Horsham. Yes, indeed; that's English bishop Lindsay Urwin, the self-same Bishop of Horsham who signed the "letter of support" for the former bishop of San Joaquin. Irony abounds!

From his post, it is clear that Dennis struggled mightily about whether to publish this revelation. It's clear to me that Dennis is much more generous than I. But, as he says, when a bishop like this allies himself with the forces of homophobic hatred, it needed to be done.

Frankly, I hope that other people who have knowledge of homophobic, closeted gay bishops will join in Dennis' courageous stand.

One wise person, in the comments on Dennis' post, said:

Back in 1991, Bishop Barbara Harris (at the time one of only two women Anglican bishops) said to an Integrity gathering that some of our worst enemies are closet clergy and deputies. "Each is entitled to their own closet, but they should not be able to use it as a sniper's nest."

Amen. When a cleric uses his closet as a sniper's nest, he deserves to have a light directed upon his deceit and duplicity. And that's exactly what bishop Lindsay Urwin has done.

BTW, since Dennis is a beloved member of MadPriest's "virtual parish," you won't be surprised to learn that MadPriest has also posted about this matter. MP is even angrier than Dennis. Go read.

But I am even angrier than MadPriest. This is a subject about which I've written before. For the life of me, I still do not know how those gay/lesbian bishops – especially the ones on the "progressive" side of the spectrum – can look themselves in the mirror each day. I hope they see their cowardice every time they look in a mirror, recognizing that Bishop Robinson has a level of courage that they cannot (yet) even imagine. I hope one day they will demonstrate half the integrity he has. One day, I hope they will be on their knees, begging forgiveness at how they have let a brother bishop take all the flak. But that day is not yet.