Those Crazy Americans

There hasn't been much worth noting going on in the Anglican world lately. A few bishops and archbishops issuing statements demanding that those "ugly Americans" better repent or they will make more bishops, boycott Lambeth, and use primatial power to put the fear of God back into our heathen Yankee souls. In other words, the usual bluster.

To be quite honest, I'm starting to lose interest in their rants. Until they get some new material, I think I'm going to just stop paying much attention to them. We've got better things to do.

But, in comments someone pointed out a recent quote that was just too bizarre to pass up. It comes from Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali of Rochester:

...Bishop Nazir-Ali said profound differences needed to be resolved because the American Church had now drifted apart from traditional Christianity in a number of fundamental areas.

He claimed that American clergy were increasingly weaving other faiths such as Buddhism and Hinduism into their worship and many regarded the Bible as a man-made book that could be rewritten rather than a revelation from God...

Where do these people get this stuff? It would be funny if such a ridiculous statement had not appeared in the Telegraph, which may be cause for some uninformed folks to imagine such an absurd characterization might be true.

Since the bishop has obviously had no personal experience of worship in the Episcopal Church, which, without exception in my experience, is rooted in the Book of Common Prayer, I suppose he is taking as Gospel the illusions of some wild eyed pistol packing refugees who have fled TEC because we have the audacity to consider justice and mercy to be important characteristics of the Christian faith.

Since this bishop must be the most gullible man currently wearing a purple shirt, let us add to his knowledge of how ugly Americans can really be, shall we? For his benefit, here is another reason to stay away from those crazy Yanks, brought to us by a most reputable author:

...I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout...

I'm sure the good bishop will find that story much more interesting than the dull visions of meditating Buddhists infiltrating the Church and busy biblical translators inserting heretical snippets of obscure Hebrew and Greek texts into our Lectionary. If he likes the taste of the above offering, we've got plenty more. How about Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox? Pecos Bill? Or, for a more modern bit of Americana, I'd be happy to loan the bishop my DVD collection of the Matrix Trilogy.

But if the bishop wants to really understand what is going on in America, I would suggest that he might want to actually worship in our churches and talk to our people, instead of swallowing whole uninspired legends created for no other reason than to fuel the fires of schism.

J.