The Other Is Never Wrong
By R. Andrew Newman
Published 6/15/2006

The Episcopal Church's fight over gay marriage and its strained relations with a sizeable swath of the Anglican Communion will dominate the headlines for yet another General Convention.

That, I'm afraid, is old news. The battle's been decided, only a matter of when, not if, same-sex ceremonies receive the national church's imprimatur. For the meantime, American bishops will continue to offer bafflegab (pluriform truth, I believe the Presiding Bishop calls it) and expressions of "regret" to the outraged Anglicans of Africa and Asia.

Reading through the resolutions and reports for this year's triennial convention, which opened Tuesday and concludes June 21, something else struck me. I could say politics struts center stage in Columbus, Ohio, or that nothing seems to stand outside of ECUSA's competence. In Olympian fashion, resolutions and reports call for an end to global poverty, Israel to halt its "occupation" and stop oppressing the Palestinians, full civil rights for same-sex couples, making it easier to cast a ballot for President of the United States than to write a check at the Piggly Wiggly, support for sustainable agriculture, the elimination of racism, and waging peace in Iraq. the rest