But the Scottish bishops said: “We are conscious that as a church we are much indebted in our life both to a significant presence of persons of homosexual orientation, and also those whose theology and stance would be critical of attitudes to sexuality other than abstinence outside marriage.
“We rejoice in both.”
Thank God for Scotland the brave. Their bishops consecrated the first American Episcopal bishops in the years immediately after the Revolution, when we weren’t exactly on speaking terms with Britain. Then we all got over it.
Then they consecrated the first Episcopalian woman priest in 1994. We’re all still getting over it, but it’s not as controversial as it once was.
Now they’re making a positive affirmation for gay clergy, as much from a pragmatic stance (the church needs all its people, of every stripe) as anything.
To get over this, we in the American Episcopal church need to work more on the rejoicing and less on the condemning.
It’s classic middle way/Via Media/Great Compromise stuff, really. We need to look to our own past to find this solution.
