Fool Me Once
You know the old saying: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
Several of TEC's bishops blogging from the Lambeth Conference have been at pains to assure someone [Us? Themselves?] that the "Reflections" document [Warning: It's a 37-page, 577kb PDF] is simply a snapshot or neutral account of what has been expressed in the course of the conference.
For example, Bishop Stephen Lane (Maine) writes today: "For now, there have been no legislative changes. The reflection paper is advisory and the matters raised will need to be addressed by the Synods or Conventions of each Province."
Yeah, right. And the Windsor Report was "just" a report, though many have elevated it to the status of Holy Writ.
So what do we read this evening? Even before Lambeth has adjourned, the bishops of the Diocese of Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa have issued a public statement about "the Lambeth Conference now ended," which accepts "Resolution 1.10 of the last Lambeth Conference now again reaffirmed as still expressing the mind of the church as a whole."
Mark my words. The "Reflections" document, too, will be selectively quoted as Holy Writ by those who will not stop until the Episcopal Church is driven out of the Anglican Communion.
Bank on it. And don't be fooled.
Several of TEC's bishops blogging from the Lambeth Conference have been at pains to assure someone [Us? Themselves?] that the "Reflections" document [Warning: It's a 37-page, 577kb PDF] is simply a snapshot or neutral account of what has been expressed in the course of the conference.
For example, Bishop Stephen Lane (Maine) writes today: "For now, there have been no legislative changes. The reflection paper is advisory and the matters raised will need to be addressed by the Synods or Conventions of each Province."
Yeah, right. And the Windsor Report was "just" a report, though many have elevated it to the status of Holy Writ.
So what do we read this evening? Even before Lambeth has adjourned, the bishops of the Diocese of Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa have issued a public statement about "the Lambeth Conference now ended," which accepts "Resolution 1.10 of the last Lambeth Conference now again reaffirmed as still expressing the mind of the church as a whole."
Mark my words. The "Reflections" document, too, will be selectively quoted as Holy Writ by those who will not stop until the Episcopal Church is driven out of the Anglican Communion.
Bank on it. And don't be fooled.
posted by Lisa Fox at 8/02/2008 07:47:00 PM
2 Comments:
In this context, it might be good to use "Bush's" version of that saying:
Fool me once (VERY long pause) shame on me [sic]
Fool me twice (VERY long pause) we can't get fooled again.
Great post.
Thanks for the chuckle, Cany. I need it!
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