As I’ve said many times, one of the positive things about my kerfuffle with Dysfunctional Bob is that it has made clear that, at every level, The Episcopal Church is morally bankrupt. I mean, where else can you find a bishop, a priest who teaches ethics, and a parish rector, all of whom are prepared to conclude that perjury by clergy is actionable only if there’s a conviction? Or who don’t have a problem with a priest who is so much a bully that he drives up to former parishioners, climbs out of his vehicle, then screams and makes threats? Who think it’s okay to try to drag a dying woman into court?
It’s good to know what the church is really about, before I waste any more time or money on it.
With that in mind, here is my response to Bishop Susan Goff, Disciplinary Chair the Rev. Melissa Hollerith, and the Rev. Sven vanBaars. I was on the road when Melissa’s letter came through, so it has a few typos and mechanical issues, but it does the trick.
And yes, just like the Scribes and Pharisees, all three are utter hypocrites. They are invested in the business of The Episcopal Church, look forward to generous defined benefit plans in retirement, and can feel good about their largely meaningless support for LGBTQIA+ rights and other social issues. But when it comes to actually living a moral life, resisting injustice and oppression, ensuring the ethical and mission integrity of the church, and following Christ, forget it. All three are full of crap, and you can quote me on that. The sooner The Episcopal Church goes away the better the world will be.
Oh, and lest you had any doubt, no pastoral response this time, either. So the CANA/GAFCON crowd can say in all fairness that they are entitled to ignore Episcopal canons. After all, the Episcopal church itself ignores its own canons when it finds it convenient to do so.
A final observation: The best way to avoid being criticized for being a hypocrite is to not be a hypocrite. When you lie under oath, make false representations of law and fact to court, try to drag a dying woman into court, go after Mike, engage in smear campaigns, and lie to parishioners (like claiming I left Grace church on my own), you can only go on so long before people call your bluff.