Anglican Unscripted Episode 54

Oct 26, 2012

In this weeks episode Kevin and George bring an update on the Diocese of South Carolina and their separation from the Episcopal Church. Also this week they talk about Women's Ordination and the new task force created by the Anglican Church in North America. And what episode would be complete without news from one of the broken Anglican "Instruments of Unity". Peter talks about the reality of Women Bishops in England and Allen Haley guildes the viewer thru the Kangaroos courts found in Title IV.

A.S. Haley: What Is It about "Conflicts of Interest" that the Kangaroo Court Cannot Understand?
The term "kangaroo court" is a mid-nineteenth century Americanism that may have hit its stride during the days of the Gold Rush, when rough and ready justice was meted out on the spot in the mining camps and unorganized territories of California. But its meaning has always been well-established, even if its etymology is not clear: it refers to a rigged proceeding to deliver "justice" to some poor victim or unlucky offender who has aroused the popular ire of the moment. The judge is in on the script, the jury is stacked, and the victim generally does not know what hit him until later, because the trial proceeds so fast.

In such an atmosphere, the words "conflict of interest" have no meaning or consequences. The jury foreman may be the judge's brother, and the prosecuting attorney the judge's son. All they care about is railroading the defendant(s) as quickly and thoroughly as they can -- and they have all the power in the situation.

The current attempt to bring canonical charges against the bishops (and, to date, one presbyter) who exercised their First Amendment rights to offer testimony or legal argument to the courts in Illinois and Texas is a case in point. In the Fort Worth case before the Texas Supreme Court, seven bishops and three presbyters within the Episcopal Church (USA) filed a "friend-of-the-court" (amicus) brief, which took the position that ECUSA is not a three-tier hierarchy (1 - "national church"; 2 - diocese; 3 - parish), but has a hierarchical relationship only between the bishop diocesan and the resident clergy of any given diocese...