Political discourse in the Episcopal Church

The following is an extract from a discussion I had on an Episcopal Church web site discussing political civility.

Yes, I am a conservative and an Episcopalian. It isn’t easy to be such. What is frustrating is that many within the ECUSA frame political debate within their version of morality and assume that view is shared by all. This is what stifles debate. When bishops, clergy and leaders of the denomination are unified that the only way to uphold baptismal vows is to adopt a certain political position, how can there be dissent? How can there be discourse? Disagreement about public policy becomes heresy.

Even as I write this, I am reluctant to even bring up specific political topics. From immigration to minimum wage to gun control and climate change, the liberals have browbeat conservatives into silence in the Church. This is done not by arguing the economic impacts or societal costs but rather, by using the bible and baptismal vows as a cudgel. Once that club is wielded, many of us are reluctant to defend our position. I don’t feel any desire to explain how my faith in my Redeemer is consistent with my belief in certain economic mechanisms that create stronger societies. It is safer to remain silent.

As a conservative, I don’t ignore Jesus’s words in Matthew 25:31-46 and I don’t appreciate the implication that I do. In fact, this is an excellent example of how discourse gets sidetracked when scripture is brought into the political arena. How does a government improve the lives of people? Is that any different from how the Church does it? Is it any different than how a parish or an individual does it? I would argue that it is very different. Each institutional level has unique responsibilities and attempts to combine those is a dangerous path. Does that make me a heretic? Is that un-Christian?

See what just happened there? I had to defend my belief in Jesus’s words in order to have a discussion about politics. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that is? That is why conservatives have left this Church in such large numbers. Those of us who remain are marginalized and question why we are still here.

Why I Voted Against Eric Cantor

It seems that the whole world is talking about the Cantor election right now.  Well, I live in Cantor’s district and I voted yesterday.  I had a really hard time deciding who to vote for and I usually don’t.  This one was tough.

I didn’t do it over immigration.  I didn’t do it because he wasn’t conservative enough.  I generally like Cantor.  There was a letter to the editor in the local paper that almost convinced me to stick with him.  The LTE correctly pointed out that as Majority Leader, he has a lot of power and that power is good for the locals here in the 7^th district.  It is also cool to have a generally conservative guy with that much power and in line to become the next Speaker.  That almost got my vote.

But it didn’t and here is why.  Cantor has irritated me a number of times in the last several months.  He talks a good conservative game, but he and Boehner have missed several opportunities to hold Obama’s feet to the fire.  Yes, they have hearings, but that is it.  Where is the actual action against the Administration on the IRS scandal, Benghazi or the VA system?  It is all just hearings and bluster.  Nobody has been prosecuted and likely never will. 

So even with this, I was willing to hold my nose and vote for him.  I thought that maybe, he really did understand political realities better than me and that he was making decisions that while I didn’t agree with them, at least they were principled.

Then I got his campaign literature.  It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.  He suddenly decided to sound tough on these issues when I knew he wasn’t.  Worse yet, he called his opponent a liberal and implied that since he is a college professor that he must not understand how politics really works.  He used the terms “ivory tower” and “liberal” and none of it was true.  It was slimy and disgusting.  It was then that I realized that he really is the “establishment” that needs replaced.

I voted for a guy named Brat.  I know he will not be in a leadership position any time soon.  I can live with that.  I hope the GOP figures out what happened pretty quickly and don’t throw him to the wolves in the general election in November (they can’t be that stupid, can they?).

 

I didn’t so much vote for Brat as I did against Cantor.  I don’t want to be represented by a liar and by a person who can not or will not stand up to Obama on the IRS scandal or any of the other idiocy that we see today.  I am ready to be represented by a man of principle.  I hope that is what I get.