My concern is with the callous exploitation of a tragedy to peddle magazines or newspaper columns, as it is with the exploitation of the incident to advance a partisan agenda or further pillory our Presiding Bishop. I very much hope that you will include prayers for all those caught up in this situation in your intercessions this Sunday. If you believe the priest, no desecration of sacred space took place. If you believe an issue-oriented group called Episcopalians United, quick to quote unsubstantiated details from Penthouse, the Episcopal Church is guilty of condoning lurid behavior. As you read this, few know what happened in St. Gabriel's Church in the Diocese of Long Island.
Investigations are underway.
The real story, however, may be not so much what happened there as why certain reflexes jerk toward every opportunity to press an agenda, capitalizing even on the suffering of the body of Christ to win the day. The real story may be the harm that results from claims to own biblical truth and orthodox Christian teaching. The syndicated column of Mike McManus was published in The Morning Call , Saturday, November 2. Terry Mattingly writes his column for the Scripps Howard News Service. They have taken every opportunity to suggest that the Episcopal Church, which has twice refused in General Convention to condemn those engaged in committed same-sex relationships, is on the brink of moral anarchy.