Sunday 9 March 2008

Filthy Money!

According to Thinking Anglicans, Chris Sugden has written to himself asking for funds.

Subject: Opportunity to support a Bishop to Jerusalem
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008
From: Chris Sugden
To: Chris Sugden

Dear Colleague...

And he writes this:

GAFCON is organised to enable the Anglican Orthodox to think, discuss and pray about the future of the Anglican Communion. Many Anglican Orthodox leaders have come to the conclusion that the 2008 Lambeth conference as it is structured and led is fundamentally compromised and will not provide the environment and process to struggle with the challenges threatening the future of the communion.

I'd like to know who these Anglican Orthodox leaders are - note the two capital letters. Is this a new denomination? Will it be a new denomination? Will it be the Anglican Orthodox Church?

It says - this memo or letter, or whatever it is:

The GAFCON gathering does not mean schism. It seeks to set out a clear biblically faithful and orthodox vision for the future of the Anglican Communion, share with the rest of the communion in all available forums and work towards shaping the communion towards that end.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) it probably does mean schism. The apparently faithful, biblical and orthodox vision it sets out might suit the new Puritans, and some who have an African mix of biblical fundamentalism and inherited magic, but it wouldn't suit many others.

I notice this for the agenda:

...addressing the issues facing the future of orthodox witness in the Communion but particularly to chart a new path for developing enterprise solutions to poverty...

This latter social gospel means right wing stuff, of course - their own ideas of development which presumably tie in with the politics of their American backers - those that have no doubt paid for all the air miles involved in planning this GAFCON get-together.

So it is £1300 each and an average of £1100 travel to get a bishop and his wife to Jordan and Jerusalem. Can't they leave the men at home to cut the cost? That's a lot of bread for the average African. And the travel - do they all have to go in personal gold lined sedan chairs? How much does it cost to walk in Jerusalem?

Oh yes - that second half conference of bishops' meetings, a speech, visits, they are calling a pilgrimage... While the Palestinian terrorists are sending missiles into Israel, and while the Israelis are knocking the shit out of the Gaza ghetto, and then terrorists kill the innocent in Jerusalem, are these GAFCON idiots going to walk around in Jerusalem displaying their anti-homosexual anti-broad Anglicanism spouting?

The letter, memo, fantasy novel, says:

Cheques may be made to: Anglican Mainstream ( a charity)

That's debatable. I can't see it doing anyone any good.

3 comments:

-frank said...

"Oi, I was promised some sheep!"

Thanks

-frank said...

Well I almost got the quote right ...but it's early here yet.

Abhijit Pandya said...

Great cartoon - as usual!

This appeal for funds smacks of the worst excesses of American inspired evangelicalism. Clerics claiming to care about poverty, while jet-setting on extravagent and unnecessary tours paid for by their congregations, supposedly in the name of God. An enterprising solution indeed!