(By Jeffrey Walton, Juicy Ecumenism). Controversy about the Episcopal Washington National Cathedral’s stained glass windows caused a stir last year when the previous cathedral dean called for removal of windows marking the lives of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. But a small Episcopal congregation in North Dakota is making news this week with their own new LGBT window dedicated to the gay community.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Fargo dedicated a new window on Sunday featuring a rainbow and words from the denomination’s 1979 revision of the Book of Common Prayer: “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?”
Dubbed “Integrity Window” the installation also commemorates English writer St. Aelred of Rievaulx. Aelred authored the treatise “On Spiritual Friendship” and is claimed by some in the gay community for his own deep friendships with men. The window also features a quote from Galatians, a pride flag, the logo of Integrity USA (the unofficial LGBT caucus within the Episcopal Church) and a depiction of the parish’s rainbow-flag flying float from a local parade.
“Loving God, loving your neighbor as yourself, that’s really the basis for all Christian ministry as I see it and I think that’s the basis for how we see GLBTQ inclusion,” Parish Priest-in-Charge Jamie Parsley told local news station KVLY. The window is dedicated “in memory of those who died trying to be their authentic selves.”
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The whole article is effectively summed up in the “Priest in charge”‘s succinct comment “as I see it”. This takes us back to the Book of Judges 21:25 ” In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”
Tribalism or tribal, identity theology, as in politics, is not so much the triumph or emphasis of some group, tribe, or identity block, as it is the radical individualism and total autonomy of the individual to society, culture, God, faith, religion. It is the empowerment of the individual to do and see as he/she/?? see fit at any and all time. Especially as applies to sex and sexuality.
Rather than liberation of the individual, it is in actuality the enslavement of the individual to the eternal tyranny and bondage of the dominate group. You see this in the Left’s emphasis that gender identity is fluid and a matter of personal choice. “My body, my choice” is a common rally cry. The pathological hatred of the Left to history in general, trying to rename buildings or remove statues, and to free speech in specific is common of this new authoritarianism. Again the actions of the ECUSA at this church and the PCUSA in general is not so much liberation of the individual but seeking to impose a new social order, a new paradigm of intoleration and authoritarianism over those who would dare to question or disagree with the pro LGBTQ majority that now dominates older mainline liberal denominations.
Yes, we can love our neighbors as ourselves and we can do this without changing God’s laws on marriage. There is no question that the Biblical statement on marriage is between a man and a woman. The foundation of civilization. family, for the long view of history. Love our neighbors but keep God’s laws. Sadly, truth has become like clay, changed for the cultural demands, which are not from Christ.