Progressive Episcopal/Anglican Feed by IPC

A short while ago I checked out from the library and watched Missing, a movie starring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. It’s an intense political thriller by director Costa-Gavras. I did not know anything of Costa-Gavras, so I decided to do a little research on him. Costa-Gavras is one of the most respected directors today, the creator of political thrillers that expose government corruption and deceit.

Here is some information on Costa-Gavras from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Gavras). Constantinos Gavras was born on February 13, 1933 to a poor family in the village of Loutra Iraias, Greece. His father had been a member of the left-wing branch of the Greek Resistance during World War II, and was imprisoned after the war as a suspected communist. Costa-Gavras went to France to study of law in 1951, and in 1956 he studied film. In his early years he worked with the famed French directors Yves Allegret, Jean Giono and Rene Clair. He directed his first film in 1965.

Costa-Gavras is reknowned as a master of the political thriller. Michael Wood, a teacher of English and comparative literature in Princeton, wrote in the booklet accompanying the DVD of Missing:

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Recession? What recession?

You can "google" this information from lots of sources, but Bill sent me this one from here, which seems most consistent with other sources.

I know my "Christmas Wish List" has been seriously cut. My family is, likewise, looking at gifts that are more "practical" as well as homemade.

That being said, it's also a sign of the times to be more generous with others whose "practical needs" are much more serious than our own.

What to get for that 'person who has everything'? How about a generous contribution in her/his name to an agency that helps those in need - at home or around the world?

Anyway, looks like too many of us will have too many places left to do our Christmas Shopping. Pray for all those who have or will lose their jobs. Pray for the leadership of this country. Pray for an end to the greed in our own hearts which equates getting "more stuff" with greater happiness that the greed in human hearts will be transformed into generosity.

Circuit City
155 stores closing
6 in NE Ohio
2 will remain open in NE Ohio

Ann Taylor
117 Stores to close nationwide
Closings planned over the next 3 years
No specifics announced

Lane Bryant

40 Stores closing nationwide

Fashion Bug
100 stores closing nationwide

Catherine’s

10 stores closing nationwide

KB Toys

150 stores closing nationwide
Akron location remains open

Eddie Bauer
27 stores closing nationwide

Cache
14 stores closed but several others open

CompUSA
All stores closed

Dillards
Closed Middletown, Ohio store in April

Disney Store
98 stores closed nationwide

Home Depot
15 stores closed nationwide
2 in Ohio – Findley & Lima
Won’t open 50 stores planned for 2009
Hurt specifically byeal estate crisis

Talbots
78 men's and children's stores closed by September

Fifteen furniture chains closed last year, up from 10 in 2006 and five in 2005, according to Furniture/Today, a trade publication. Two of the largest, Wickes and Domain, closed this year.

Pacific Sunwear
154 remaining Demo stores closing

Foot Locker
140 stores closing by end of 2008

Linens N’ Things
371 stores liquidating
All set to be closed by Jan. 1

Macy’s
Already Closed: Rolling Acres Mall
Akron Canton Centre, Canton
Randall Park Mall, North Randall

Movie Gallery
160 stores as part of reorganization plan to exit bankruptcy

Zales
100 Stores

J. C. Penney, Lowe’s and Office Depot are scaling back or delaying expansion. Office Depot had planned to open 150 stores this year, but will now open 75.

Sprint Nextel
125 retail locations

From THE CHURCH TIMES:

A meeting billed as the National Evangelical Anglican Consultation (NEAC5) ended in acrimony on Saturday, amid accusations of a hijack by hard-line (con)servatives and of bullying and manipulation by the chairman of the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), the Revd Dr Richard Turnbull, Principal of Wycliffe Hall.

Delegates rebelled when they found on their chairs at the start of the afternoon session a resolution from the CEEC executive calling for NEAC to support the Global Angli can Future Conference (GAFCON) Jerusalem Declaration. There had been no mention of it in the morning session, and it was not on the agenda. An accompanying note said that no amendments would be allowed.

Rodney Curtis, a management consultant who worships at St Ebbe’s, Oxford, likened attending the meeting to “watching a car crash in slow motion”, as Dr Turnbull ignored advice from Dr Philip Giddings, the convener of Anglican Mainstream, and Canon Michael Saward to withdraw the resolution. “The management of the day was so amateur that I felt embarrassed,” he said. “We were being bounced into supporting GAFCON at the say-so of Richard Turnbull.”

He described Dr Turnbull as having been “publicly humiliated”, and GAFCON as having been made to look like “a bullying, manipulative movement”. A procedural motion brought by Philip Love grove, a veteran of the General Synod, called for a move to next business. That motion was carried by 123 votes to 104.

COMMENT: I don't think GAFCON were made to look like a "bullying, manipulative movement." I think that particular characteristic of this treacherous little band has been plain to see, by anyone who has eyes, since its formation.

Dicky Turncoat will be appearing in pantomime at the Oxford Apollo Theatre this year. He is playing the part of the ogre in "Jack And The Beanstalk." Not suitable for children and those of a nervous disposition.

This is a band that I used to go and
see in concert back in the early 80s
when jazz-dance in England was
going through a definite Latin phase.
So I was really pleased when I came
across this "best of" album the other
day. I was even more pleased when I
discovered that the music is as good
as I remember it being.

One of the jobs that would be right at the bottom of my career options list would be social work in England. The poor buggers exist in a permanent "no-win" situation. If a gang of crooks rob a bank, the police are not pilloried in all the major newspapers for failing to foresee the robbery. Yet, if some psycho goes off his rocker and murders his whole family it is usually the local social services who are to blame for not having prophesied the carnage. Social workers are mere mortals (mere underpaid, overworked mortals) and are not omniscient. I'm always misreading pastoral situations and I'm quite good at my job. I have every sympathy for my caring profession colleagues.

On English television, there is a long running series called "Question Time." Basically, a politician from each of the main parties, and a lay guest, are asked questions about current issues by members of a studio audience. The politicians use these questions as an opportunity to slag each other off.

One of the questions on last night's show concerned the case of a woman who had tortured her baby son to death. Evidently the social workers should have stopped it happening - but that is not what I am concerned with here.

When answering this question every member of the panel repeatedly made the statement that "the child must always come first." Of course, I understand their sentiments but there's something about the statement that, as a philosopher, I am uneasy with - although I can't quite put my finger on it.

As most of you will know, I am a great fan of Peter Singer and he has devised an argument for infanticide. As a Christian I cannot agree with his conclusion because I have the "Do not murder" prime directive. However, if I was an atheist I would have trouble in faulting his logic.

The main thrust of Singer's argument is based on Utilitarian concepts of greater happiness and this is a way of making ethical decisions that does not have any fixed absolutes as such. For Utilitarians it is difficult to accept a general rule such as "the child must always come first."

A few years back, on the evidence given by a renegade paediatrician, whole communities had their children removed from them. It turned out that there had been no abuse whatsoever. The damage done to the children, but more so the adults, was truly dreadful.

Anyway, what do you think?

I have received the following email from the Arkansas Hillbilly at HILLBILLY MUSINGS:

Mad Priest,

I’m hoping you can help me out here. My state did another asinine thing this past week and I was wondering if you could pass a message on to our Pagan friends who comment on your blog. Basically, a mother here in the buckle of the Bible Belt has lost custody of her kids because…. She’s a Wiccan. I detailed it on my site, but I wondered if anyone had connections to help this woman out.

Arkansas Hillbilly

Do pop over to his place and read all about this stupidity and while you're at it read our friend's previous post "Gentleness" which is about his late dog, Sam. It will make all the usual suspects cry - I guarantee that.

And, Mr Hillbilly, do us all a favour, mate. Get yourself a new puppy before we all throw ourselves off a bridge or something. Looking back is an important part of bereavement but so is moving forward. You will not be happy until you have another Great Pyreneese sitting on your lap and crushing your manhood. I know they're expensive, but it's only money. In fact, personally I'd sell the baby and buy the dog with what I got for him. But don't sell the wife - she's a bit cute.

From THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

Researchers said Thursday they have identified the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton and hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer's books. The findings could put an end to centuries of speculation about the exact resting spot of Copernicus, a priest and astronomer whose theories identified the Sun, not the Earth, as the center of the universe.

Polish archaeologist Jerzy Gassowski told a news conference that forensic facial reconstruction of the skull that his team found in 2005 buried in a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Frombork, Poland, bears striking resemblance to existing portraits of Copernicus.
The reconstruction shows a broken nose and other features that resemble a self-portrait of Copernicus, and the skull bears a cut mark above the left eye that corresponds with a scar shown in the painting. Moreover, the skull belonged to a man aged around 70 — Copernicus's age when he died in 1543. In addition, Swedish genetics expert Marie Allen found that DNA from a tooth and femur bone matched that taken from two hairs retrieved from a book that the 16th-century Polish astronomer owned, which is kept at a library of Sweden's Uppsala University where Allen works.

COMMENT: Coincidently, I was reading about old Copernicus this week.

A few years ago it was observed that some galaxies appeared to be moving away from us at a speed that could not be explained within our current cosmological models. So, scientists invented dark energy.

(Yes, they did invent it. It's only everybody else who have to have empirical evidence for their beliefs. Scientists are exempt from such things. See, also, EVOLUTION).

However, the complete lack of evidence for this mysterious dark energy is a little embarrassing and now, one extremely reputable scientist has come up with a theory that will explain the speeding galaxies without the need for any invisible anything. There are two requirements in his theory.

Firstly, the earth would have to be surrounded by an enormous void (a void in cosmological terms isn't completely empty but is comparatively void of matter). This contributes to a sort of optical illusion.

Secondly, the earth would have to be at the centre of the universe. This, of course, makes void all the calculations that have been based on the laws proposed by Copernicus. It would certainly muck up our present understanding of the Big Bang and the shape of the universe.

The scientist who came up with this theory admits that it is highly improbable. But, he adds, "We live in a highly improbable universe."

File under INTERESTING,

Devious genius, RfrancisR, at THE DAILY KOS, has come up with a plan that is going to bring the Mormons to their knees. Or, rather, it's going to bring their ancestors to their knees and what a blow that will be for them.

The scheme will work better with lots of helping hands. So pop over and get praying.

Thanks to Dennis for sending this one in.

Yes. I don't see how the gays can win in California now that the Big Guy has filed against them.



















Full details of this amazing new development can be found at PAM'S HOUSE BLEND.

Thanks to Leigh for sending this in.

This time, Clumber, that brilliant cyberpup, has absolutely outdone himself.

This is the fourth and last in his series.

Fifty days off your time in Purgatory if you can name all the Cyberwitnesses.

Go and visit his artwork.

Be inspired. And remember:

Pray THROUGH the icon, not TO the icon.

Gregg DesElms from California contacted Crossleft and asked that this be published on the site. It is interesting and thoughtful. Jim

At the Nationwide Protest Against Proposition 8
On the steps of City Hall in Napa, California
Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 10:30 AM PST

Peace and Blessings to you all. My name is Gregg DesElms. Though I live in Napa, I am a sworn Deputy Commissioner of Civil Ceremonies for Santa Clara County, down in San Jose. And let me just get this out of the way up front: It’s a character flaw, I realize, but I am proudly heterosexual. So, for the next few minutes, if it’s okay with all of you, I’d like to talk about how being party to the same-sex marriage experience in the way that I have has affected this particular heterosexual.

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The Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2008) is set aside to
remember those lost to anti-transgender violence in the last year. Much of
this violence is fueled by a sentiment that it is tacitly and explicitly
reinforced by narrow understandings of gender, as well as outright
transphobia and homophobia expressed in the name of a Christian God. Too
many of us have not only heard "God condemns you" -- but also "It would be
better if you were dead."

It is a profound and important step for every faith community to join in a
resounding chorus that condemns all forms of violence against people who are
differently gendered.

* By vocally condemning anti-trans bullying, harassment, and hate crimes, we
begin to chip away at the self-righteous fuel that feeds those who believe
they are doing God's will by punishing the differently gendered.
* By loudly proclaiming that people of all genders are beloved, we begin to
address the rampant rate of depression and suicide among transgender youth
and adults that so to often encouraged by religious judgment.
* By reaching out in love to the transgender community, we begin to
undermine the isolation and low self-esteem that can undergird substance
abuse and high-risk behaviors (which inform high rates of HIV and AIDS).

Beyond the hate and judgment, trans people's lives are at risk because we so
often struggle to meet our most fundamental needs such as safe employment
and basic health care. Faith communities need to be out in front of such
justice issues as well.

So, this year, let us (re)commit ourselves to the work of speaking up and
speaking out, to the work of educating ourselves and educating others, to
the work of reaching out in love.

Chris Paige
Publisher, TransFaith Online

Followup reading:

* NCTE Health Priorities: http://www.nctequality.org/HealthPriorities.pdf
* TransFaith InterSections: www.transfaithonline.org/intersections/
* TransFaith - Where do we begin?
www.transfaithonline.org/the_basics/where_do_i_begin/

From EKKLESIA:

Great Britain’s top toilet habit is reading, with more than 14 million people choosing to look at books, magazines and newspapers to pass the time while they are on the porcelain throne, according to a survey published to mark World Toilet Day. The research, commissioned by aid agency Tearfund, reveals that more than eight million people talk while they are on the loo – either on the phone or to their family – and one in five adults send text messages.

The “Toilet Habit” survey also shows that more than five million people think about food – with Londoners topping the table – and that men are more likely to look for a distraction when on the toilet than women.

COMMENT: Over a period of seven days, each week, I manage to read "New Scientist" from cover to cover. Also I quite often listen to some tunes on my iPod at the same time. But talking to somebody whilst having a crap? How gross!!! Surely the person on the other end can hear the plops and farts. If people in England have really started talking on the phone when relieving themselves then my country is not my country anymore.

From THE TELEGRAPH:

A group of seven Amish farmers in Michigan say the state's insistence that they use radio frequency ID devices on their animals "constitutes some form of a 'mark of the Beast' and/or represents an infringement of their 'dominion over cattle and all living things' in violation of their fundamental religious beliefs," according to their lawsuit. Some Amish, who have a booming business in producing organic milk, disagree with radio ID tagging so strongly that they said they will give up farming if they do not get an exemption.

The livestock registration is intended to create a national tracking system to help contain outbreaks of diseases such as mad cow disease, or foot and mouth.

COMMENT: A similar scheme to keep tabs on religious nutters might be a good idea.

Thanks to Stephen for sending this one in.

Now that I have your attention . . .

I often get emails from colleagues around the country, asking for my opinion/advice about difficult situations which arise from time to time in the parish. I am always honored, but truth be told, it is more often the case that I seek the advice of my colleagues when I get into a situation I feel completely unprepared to address with any sense of confidence or knowledge.

Sometimes I just call and sometimes we carry on a conversation in cyberspace. I'm always so grateful to know we have such wonderful, competent clergy in the Household of God. Yes, we have our 'clunkers' but for the most part, the ones who are stellar absolutely shine!

I have posted below my comments to a brother clergy who was about to have a couple from his congregation come visit him. Seems that this couple know a couple who have a young son. From the age of three, this young boy has identified as female.

The parents have supported that child in his gender identification, allowing him to wear feminine clothes and play with toys that are more typically embraced by the female gender of the species.

He's now off to elementary school and his parents have instructed his teachers to do likewise, including a feminine version of his name. Just for sake of conversation, let's say his name is 'Paul' and they've instructed the teachers to call him 'Paula'.

The parishioners who are friends of this couple find this distressing and have made an appointment with their rector to discuss it. My colleague wrote to ask for advice. Here's what I said.

A confession: I'm pretty much shooting from the hip here. I'm confident that I know what Jesus would do. The real reason for posting this is to ask, "What would YOU do?"

If there are those of you who read this blog who have information or access to information on this subject, I'd be deeply grateful to receive it.

Thanks to all of you in advance for what I know will be your brilliant information.

Oh wait. One last thing: The posters above are from the Would Jesus Discriminate? Campaign. You can find out more information and join the discussion here.

Okay, 0ff you go, then..

UPDATE: Today just happens to be Transgender Remembrance Day. You can find more information here.


My dear brother,

I have no doubt that others will have far better information than I and better access to appropriate resources - especially in your neighborhood. So, I'm a little hesitant to offer what little I know. I happen to have the evening off (thank you Jesus) so I have the time right now, and, because you know I adore you, I'm willing to give it my best shot.

Believe it or not, I've been in similar situations three times in the past 10 years. I have one kid in my congregation I've been watching for the past 6 years and I have no doubt that we're headed into "crisis" soon. He's now 10 and, well, I could be wrong, but I strongly suspect he has Klinefelter Syndrome - "genetically female, pragmatically male". (Ms. Conroy concurs, which is very important, as you know.)

This may be more information than you need or want, but very, very briefly this means that, instead of inheriting x chromosome from mom and y from dad, these men inherit an extra x chromosome from either mom or dad. They are either xx with an extra y or as xy with an extra x. At puberty, they do not develop facial or body hair or deep voices and heavy muscles and some experience breast growth.

So, for what it's worth, here's my best shot - not as a Transgender person but as a pastor - AND not knowing important particulars of your situation (neither, apparently, do you).

I'm going to give you some medical information, but please let it play as "background music" to your interactions with your parishioners. Your primary role is as their pastor. I don't have to remind you of that, but I don't want you to get too tied up in the medical information and lose your primary focus.

First: Forgive me, but I'm not clear: Is this a problem for your parishioners or for the affected family? You don't need to answer me, but get clear about this for yourself.

If it is not a problem for the "affected family", but it IS for your parishioners, then you begin, I think, with exploring with your parishioners their "problem" - their feelings - helping them work through the roots of their discomfort and offering some concrete suggestions about how they might be helpful to the parents and their child.

Be on the alert to see if this has touched something deeper in them and assess if you think they need to talk more about it with a professional in this field. Check beforehand to see what the appropriate referral resources are for them in your community. You might also want to check with those community resources in terms of booklets or recommended books you can provide them with.

If it is a problem for the affected family, which is a problem for your parishioners, then you are obviously on different path.

The first thing to remind yourself is that there is Sexual Identity and then there is Sexual Orientation.

Remember that there are four components to Sexual Identity

1. Biological Sex (various chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical factors)
2 His or her gender identification (sense of being male or female)
3. The person's social sex role (the cultural definition of being male or female)
4. The person's sexual orientation

It is important to remember that these four components are not isolated but interact with each other to form the whole, healthy human being.

There are, as you know, three components to Sexual Orientation

1. Arousal patterns (including fantasy)
2. Affective preferences
3. Behavior (patterns of physical contact with others)

In the interest of time, to put this very, very briefly and simplistically (understanding that it is a very complex issue), there are two possibilities of the cause of his gender identity "confusion" or "crisis."

(I apologize for those terms. They are not mine, but belong to the medical profession which, in Western medicine, has its basis in assumed pathology. They sound so judgmental, don't they? I'm sorry.)

1. Physical (chromosomes, hormones and anatomical factors)
2. Psychological (it's important to note that as a healthy term, not always indicating pathology)

1. Physical: We all learned in the 5th grade about chromosomes and that we "all" have an x = female and y = male chromosome. That's not exactly true. We don't "all" have xy chromosomes.

Some of us have xxy chromosomes, sometimes known as "Superwoman"

Some have xyy chromosomes, sometimes known, of course, as "Superman"

The interesting thing is that about one person in every 500 has a karyotype other than xx or xy. About one in 1,000 women has three x chromosomes instead of the usual two (me included, btw). Some have as many as 4 x plus two y's.

As recently as 1996, eight women in the Olympic Games tested as "not women" who had been observed while urinating and not disqualified on that basis - only after chromosomal analysis (Yes, one of the indignities of Olympic testing is that you have to be observed while urinating.)

To get right to the point: I would say that the first thing this kiddo needs is genetic analysis. If he hasn't been tested, your parishioners can be real friends in strongly urging the parents to speak to their pediatrician and get a referral to a pediatric genetic specialist. It's not the only answer, and the situation is much more complicated than a simple blood test, but it's an important place to begin to sort out the complex puzzle pieces to this child's identity.

2. Psychological

This has to do with this child's inherent and/or intuitive sense about being male or being female. He may have had a very early role identification 'crisis" or "confusion' which is not unusual but it is significant. From the copy of your parishioner's email to you I'm reading some negative judgment on his/her part in terms of how the parents have approached this (Of course, I could be wrong, but that's how I read it.).

There is no way of knowing - for them or us - whether or not the parent's approach to this was correct or incorrect, from a psychological standpoint. Which leads me to this piece of advice:

Along with the genetic testing, the child needs to be seen by a pediatric psychologist or psychiatrist for further assessment and testing - preferably in concert with the pediatric genetic specialist. The best approach would be to find a 'team' that works on this issue. I know there are several clinics in NYC and Boston as well as one in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins, where some of the original work by John Money was done. I can't believe your local Medical Center or some equivalent teaching hospital doesn't have this resource.

Again, many people hear: "He needs a psychological or psychiatric evaluation" and immediately interpret it as judgment or a message of some sort of pathology. That is absolutely not the case. This is about acquiring information that will help put the puzzle pieces together to help make this child - this family - whole (if, in fact that is part of the "problem")

The important thing for you in your role as pastor is to reduce the anxiety and distress of your parishioners.

1. Allow them to express these feelings in the open, non-judgmental, non-anxious presence of their trusted and loving pastor.

2. Active listening - including check in and feedback at appropriate intervals like, "So, I'm hearing you say ____, is that right?"

3. Provide them with information that gives them the message that this is not "the end of the world," or "an abomination"; that this kiddo is a Child of God and not a "freak"; and that his parents, if they haven't already, need to seek out and secure the services of professionals who can help them help their child grow into a whole, healthy human being, with a positive gender identification that may differ (at least, right now), from his external, physical gender identification - whatever that might be.

4. Have some resources to give them to better educate themselves. I urge you to do that for yourself, as well. I have been helped enormously by Virginia Ramey Mollenkott's "Omnigender" - chock full of good information and stories. However, I don't know your parishioners so I don't know if that would be an appropriate place for them to start their own educational journey.

There are lots of other books and resources. You might want to visit the TransEpiscopal webpage and leave a message for some assistance and advice.

There's lots. lots more to this, including all the components of the term 'Transgender', but I'll stop here. Don't hesitate to call me if you need to talk this through.

God has called you to do a mighty work of justice and peace with this family. I know you will be as much of a blessing to them as you are to us all.