Well this is going to be superfun for America’s Anglican community: Los Angeles’ Episcopal diocese just elected the Rev. Mary Glasspool of Baltimore — who is a big lez — as assistant bishop, putting her on track to become the second such same-sex-loving bishop in the land.
She’s not out of the clear yet; after squeaking through a vote in L.A., a majority of Episcopal dioceses across the country must still confirm the election, which would make her the first gay bishop elected since the Church lifted the moratorium on gay clergy.
And if they do confirm the election, it’ll give more dioceses reason to run into the hands of the conservative splinter group, the Anglican Church in North America, which doesn’t let these V. Gene Robinson wannabes desecrate their hateful relationship with their creator. (If confirmed, Glasspool would be another “second”: The second woman to be elected bishop in the L.A. diocese’s 114-year history.)
Glasspool, who came to terms with her sexuality in college, lives with her partner of 21 years, Becki Sander. They enjoy long walks on the beach, champagne supernovas, and people who don’t thrive on bigotry.
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dsdrane
Funny, I would’ve thought the headline would be more along the lines of “Bishop Robinson about to get some company”…or “Episcopal Church in the process of electing a 2nd gay bishop”. It’s a shame and a missed opportunity, guys.
To answer the question, however: hopefully not. Given the fact that the national convention in Anaheim this year effectively reversed any perceived moratorium on electing any new gay bishops, one can only hope that the national church places its money where its mouth is.
For this Episcopalian, it would be a very satisfying “fuck you” to Rowan Williams and the rest of the Anglican Convention. Bottom line? They need us a helluva lot more than we need them. If this really aggrieves them so horribly, I would hope they’d follow suit and cut us off. Rowan might want to consult his history books to see how that has worked out in the past….
Dave Wilkins
What a spurious depiction of the Episcopal Church, which has consistently supported the rights of gays and lesbians to worship in full communion with straight members of the church, both in marriage and as members of the clergy.
sal(the original)
its nice to see religious folks devoting good time to a gay person,screw you homeless people their time is prrrrrecious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
terrwill
The whole issue of the groups splintering off methinks has
been settled by the ruling that decreed they can certainly
take their members and go join the church ruled by the men
in dresses with pointy hats in the vatican. However they can
not take any of the physical property (real estate)or monies
in the accounts which belongs to the mother church.
Once there is no monetary gain suddenly Pope (I used to be
a nazi) Benedict won’t be so eager to “welcome” all those
additional homophobes……
Sharon Watts
It is sad that the headlines don’t focus on the wonderful work and accomplishments of Mary Glasspool. It is clear that people have not heard her preach. She is one of the lights of our dioscese who guides and supports people into a deeper spiritual path in Maryland. We will be very sorry to see her leave us, but L.A. will recieve a wonderful Suffragette Bishop.
RosheaR
Well, there goes Episcopalian, and on it goes. Good! That is what homo’s want, destruction of all religion, tear it down, get rid of it, so they can laugh at the stupid Christians that are willing to compromise. Hand in hand they dance to hell, and drag anyone else that is blind to follow. Now don’t tell me it ain’t true abt homo’s agenda. the leader longs for the total annhiliation of Christians Churches, their destruction. Meanwhile we feed the homo’s lusts which are never satisfied and looking for new ways to pervert sex. If you want to go with them the road is wide. Watch as homo’s make a mockery of family, and marriage, and they are. Congratulations to all who are siding with them you are responsible also for this destruction, and should feel proud. Make sure you attend the sex in the street parades, and sex in public bathrooms, and new drive to legalize child porn, and have sex w/children normal in the eyes of the world. yes, thank you for more anal cancer in children, std’s in kids also. welcome to madness, and you made it all possible with your support. Your held accountable for your participation.
queer atheist
Whoa!!! RosheaR calm down!! Your apocalyptic vision of gay sex coming from all but the rafters is alarming in its stupidity. Why would anyone who expresses opinions such as these troll around on a website like Queerty? Jerk off to the Morning Goods before commenting – I like my fundies guilt ridden and docile!
Anyways, I really don’t care about this story. Homos and organized religion, especially those who actually participate in it, are like a battered wife who refuses to leave their husband. There comes a time when you have to take responsibility for the damage you let other inflict upon you. Even if the house of Bishops do confirm Glasspool, she won’t be able to sit with her other bishops at Lambeth (remember what happened to Robinson…). No one outside of North America will accept her, so what is the point? Oh, but at least Robinson will have a dance partner (most of their colleagues will be wondering which one will take the lead).
The only (ONLY) way gays are going to get full equality is if we get rid of religion. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone who doesn’t fit into the views of people like RosheaR. Religion is a cancer eating away at the fabric of democratic society, destroying our civil institutions, lowering public discourse to appeals to (imaginary) authority, and promoting a climate of partisanship that has the potential to bring about the end of Western Liberal Democracy itself. How is that for scary apocalyptic rhetoric!!
dsdrane
@RosheaR & queer atheist —
You guys represent the opposite sides of the same flawed coin. You use each other to defend your own side’s intolerance.
As an Episcopalian, yes, I would prefer all our bishops were welcome at Lambeth…but it’s hardly required. No one outside of North America need recognize any of them. It’s completely irrelevant. There are many in my church who would lament any final separation from the Anglican Communion, but I doubt you’d find many who would fear it. I know I certainly won’t shed a tear.
Rainfish
The Christian religion will be a dead religion and consigned to the dust bin of primitive myth-based beliefs by the middle of this century, I predict. Unless it begins to evolve into more social relevancy, most remnants of the Christian religion will only survive to serve the ends of despots and political manipulators — much of which has already come to pass.
I’m sorry but ask yourself this: if humans were to someday find a cure for death, would we even be having this discussion. Most religions are rooted in the fear of dying: loss of self — nothing more. And, unlike Buddhism, Abrahamic religions don’t really offer anything beyond the promise of the preservation of the self in its present form of consciousness. No real re-birth or evolution beyond the material sense of self — just a continuation of it in some “spiritual realm”. How sad and how limiting.
Too many “religious types” are like frightened children at bedtime, so afraid when the lights go off. They cling to the past; to the extinguished light of yesterday which only drags them down further into darkness. But the dawn will come sooner, if only you would just stop thinking so much about it. It’s time to move on; make life better in the “here-and-now” so that our children will have a better life to look forward to in this world after we are gone.
And that means our GLBT children as well. All of us, and especially those of you in the “christian” community, have a lot to make up for with them. It’s time to get started. Reject all forms of exclusion, no matter what you may personally feel about a particular group. As long as no demonstrable harm is being done to another, then you must allow each of us to live our own lives as we see fit. I am no longer a Christian (although I was raised as a German Lutheran), still I believe that your Jesus (perhaps not the present cultification of him), but, perhaps, the true Messiah would have done that.
The real test of your humanity towards your fellow man or woman is not how well you get along with those who are like you, but how well you receive those who are not. I have no doubt that ol’ J.C. would agree with me on that one. Even Buddha, it is claimed, once said: “Be a lamp unto yourself.” But that doesn’t preclude lighting at least part of the way for others you meet along the road — as long as you don’t force them to follow you on your trail when they may have their own journeys to make along different footpaths.
Still, I am hopeful. I think we can all find commonality, if we only try a little harder to seek it with one another. I think each one of us has been given a single piece of a cosmic jigsaw puzzle – unique unto itself. I believe that the mystery of our existence will never be completely unraveled until we each come together, along different paths if need be, and arrive at a common destination to help each other put the pieces back together again. Somehow, by then, I don’t think that we’ll be surprise at what we’ll find. We may find that, when the puzzle is complete, that it is just a giant looking glass with one image looking back.
Maybe that is what faith is. I can’t prove it. I think that it could be true. Or not. But, perhaps, it might be all different tomorrow.
In conclusion, just remember:
“Veritas Vos Liberabit” (The Truth Shall Set You Free)
but… “De omnibus dubitandum” (Everything should be questioned)
dsdrane
@Rainfish
I’m assuming you grew up Missouri Synod Lutheran, yes? I did, too, and theirs is an ossified view of scripture and spirituality. So, perhaps we agree there.
I’m sure there are simple-minded people who believe “everlasting life” means just that: you live forever. Others understand this as “the death of death”. Put another way, “life” doesn’t end with our deaths. Whether you think of this as “going to heaven” or becoming “worm food” or “pushing up daisies”, there is a re-incorporation or recycling that happens. If the notion of “heaven” is too treacly for you, think of it as being folded back into the universe.
The Christ story is one way of describing this (death, ascension, resurrection), but it’s not the only way, despite what many Christians say and believe. Unfortunately, Jesus — and God, for that matter — have been hijacked by fear-mongers and tyrants. However, for me personally, I don’t feel the need to toss the baby out with the bathwater. After an adult lifetime of agnosticism, I embraced religion via the Episcopal Church at age 40. Fear wasn’t the motivating force. Exhaustion was more like it. I was tired of focusing on myself and wanted to be reminded that there were things (people, the planet, the universe) bigger than I. It works for me. Others have their own path.
So, even though I agree with your sentiment, I have to disagree with your conclusion because you end up negating something for someone else. Just because Christianity or religion itself doesn’t work for you, doesn’t mean it’s worthless (and should be “consigned to the dust bin”). When you do that, I have a hard time distinguishing you from so-called Christians who seek to do the same to gays (and others).
Washingtion Guy
I’m am very pleased to see the progress being made in the Church, and sincerely hope that she is confirmed.(personally I think it will happen, as the Church has already made it clear that the ban is lifted, so there is definitely support)
I would also like to commend Queerty for the lack of its normal hospital quipping at any religious institution.
queer atheist
“I really don’t care about this story. Homos and organized religion, especially those who actually participate in it, are like a battered wife who refuses to leave their husband. There comes a time when you have to take responsibility for the damage you let other inflict upon you”
If you really don’t care about this story why did you read it? Also I love the fact that you think you are in a position to tell others what their relationship to God is to them.
Just because you where hurt and wounded by some religious people dose not mean that every one was. It also dose not mean that any one that still is a member of faith is involved in an “spousal abuse” style relationship. On the contrary their are many where their faith is a very powerful part of their life. Where that faith is clear to them, and is also a great source of power when it comes to those that wish to harm them.
There are also people who found that the trials of coming to terms with (and coming out) their sexuality strengthened their faith. Strengthen their relationship with God. They see as plane as the nose on their face that God loves them just the way he created them. That those who cry out against them are simply misguided. The know that God is present in their life and that those time where it seemed the only foot steps in the sand where this, the where really his, as he helped carry them safely threw the hardest of their trials.
It dose not really matter if leaders out side of North America officially recognise her or Robinson, as they are still spiritual leaders in the Episcopal Church. Dose that not mean that there are not those the lament the fact (on both sides of the “pound”) that they would/are not welcome at Lambeth, no it dose not.
SO now we get to your real point which is your desire for the destruction of all organized religion and churches. I find it personally disturbing that you seek to try to destroy my religious institutions, in favor or your religion that there is no god. That sort of stance is not better then those of religion against gay rights that insist that gays must all live by their religious views. I would think you would want to be a step above them.
Rainfish
I stand by what I wrote. All ancient religions have been, and will continue to be, consigned to the dust bin of history eventually. Sure, parts of those ancient religions may live on in one form or another — like the Abrahamic religions which have borrowed so heavily from previous beliefs — but they will change or, most likely, be abandoned as humankind becomes more involved with the “here-and-now” (such as preserving the planet for their children and promoting social equality) and less self-obsessed with some ambiguous “hereafter” special membership club.
————————–
In response to No. 10 • DSDRANE who wrote:
“So, even though I agree with your sentiment, I have to disagree with your conclusion because you end up negating something for someone else. Just because Christianity or religion itself doesn’t work for you, doesn’t mean it’s worthless (and should be “consigned to the dust bin”). When you do that, I have a hard time distinguishing you from so-called Christians who seek to do the same to gays (and others).”
———————–
Rainfish continues: I do not believe that Christianity will survive as society evolves. As I stated previously, perhaps new spiritual beliefs may develop. Islam on the other hand will flourish until those countries, in which it has major theocratic influence, become more secularized and join the modern world. It is no coincidence that the most “religious” nations are also the ones which have corresponded with the lowest literacy scores as well as the highest rates of poverty, crime, and bigotry — that includes the United States as well.
Try doing some research on comparative religions. Below is a useful link:
http://www.halexandria.org/dward181.htm
PS – Yes, I did belong to the Missouri Lutheran Synod when I was a child, and when I didn’t have much choice in the matter. Later, I left and did as it says in your Bible to do: (to paraphrase)… When I became a man, I put away childish things.