Daily Episcopalian: The Outmaneuvered Middle

Here is a fairly accurate report about what's been going on today in the House of Deputies as we try to come up with language that deals with the consecration of bishops that is both moderate and helpful.

The outmaneuvered middle

The House of Deputies has been frustrating to watch this afternoon. There seems to be a clear majority interested in embracing the langue of "considerable caution," but it can't get the resolution on the floor. Hence, it is possible that we won't make as strong a response as we might like to the Windsor Report.

Read it all.

The problem I had with the A161 that was given to us were many: it was trying to do too much, it laid too much of the burden on GLBT folks while apologizing for it, and was also unworkable in other ways. Both groups on the edges, the liberals and the conservatives were opposed to it. Both sides were also very effective at blocking any action from the moderate majority to make the resolution workable.

Now watch this space and other blogs for late-breaking developments because we are now past the deadlines for the evening news programs and the daily papers and many may interpret this as a rejection of the whole Windsor package. It may be that the House of Bishops may send over to us a version that is very much like the original A161 proposed by the special commission. It may be that someone will put this forward from the floor of our own house. There is a strong mood to do something positive and to continue the process, but without the additional baggage of the later resolves in the version that was defeated. Stay tuned.