North Carolina Bishops Burbidge And Jugis Withdraw From NC Council Of Churches

Dear Patrick,

Thanks for updating me on this tragic news.

Soon, I will pass along more "measured" comments.

For now, I will say this: 

What next? A reprise of The Inquisition? 

Lest we forget... Bishop Burbiidge was totally wrong on The Iraq War, encouraging his flock to "trust" President Bush who 'surely has access to information" unavailable to mere mortals. http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/raleigh-bishop-supports-bush-war-policy/Content?oid=1201355

My ass! 

Anyone with a folded cortex and an internet connection knew Smirk and Snarl were so full of shit their back teeth were turning brown.  

If possible, I encourage you to include the following quote by Merton:

"The terrible thing about our time is precisely the ease with which theories can be put into practice.  The more perfect, the more idealistic the theories, the more dreadful is their realization.  We are at last beginning to rediscover what perhaps men knew better in very ancient times, in primitive times before utopias were thought of: that liberty is bound up with imperfection, and that limitations, imperfections, errors are not only unavoidable but also salutary. The best is not the ideal.  Where what is theoretically best is imposed on everyone as the norm, then there is no longer any room even to be good.  The best, imposed as a norm, becomes evil.”  

"Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,” by Thomas Merton

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/04/merton-best-imposed-as-norm-becomes.html

(The link leads to lots of other good stuff by Merton.)

***

It also cannot hurt to reference Pope Francis' recent interview:

Church May Fall Like A "House Of Cards" If It Prolongs Its Sex Obsessions

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-warns-catholic-church-may-fall.html

(Burbidge is playing with a deck containing 52 jokers.)

To Defend Church Teachings Without Different Understandings Is Wrong.

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-to-defend-church-teaching.html

If Christian Legalists Want Everything Clear And Safe, They Will Find Nothing

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-if-christian-legalists.html

If A Person Is Totally Certain, This Is Not Good

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-if-person-is-totally.html

The Universal Church... A Nest Protecting Our Mediocrity?

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-we-must-not-reduce-bosom.html

Pope Francis: "The Truth Is A Relationship"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-truth-is-relationship-not.html

Pope Francis Calls Money "The Dung Of The Devil." "It Corrupts Us." "There Is No Way Out."

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-calls-money-dung-of-devil.html

(When will the Bishop sermonize on The 1%'s dung?)

"Eventually people get tired of authoritarianism."

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-eventually-people-get.html

Pope Francis Is Shifting Catholic Church's Priority From Dogma To Mercy

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-seeks-to-shift-catholic-churchs.html

Pope Francis: Conservative Columnist Michael Gerson's Superb Summary

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/09/pope-francis-conservative-columnist.html

If you have not heard back in a couple days, feel free to ding me.

Pax vobiscum

Alan