let's talk about it

Oh God. The "bishops" in England say there needs to be "discussion" "around" the "issue" of human sexuality.

And we all know what that means. Along with a steady programme ('cuz, you know, it's the UK) of establishing facts on the ground (a vociferous gay-rights dean here and there, a nudge-nudge-wink-wink "celibate" bishop or three), England will be bored stiff with 3-5 years of commissions and position papers and "study groups" and "reflections" and "theological" rationales (read: -izations) and meetings programmed to reach preordained conclusions using the Indaba-Delphi technique, culminating in a majority-voted policy change, followed by half-hearted calls for "living into the differences" in our "common life" so that we can continue to "honor" our "diversity" and "witness" to our "unity" in "the Christ" (or "Christa," depending).

Oh, crap. Now I'm almost out of scare quotes. I think I'll use my last two sets thusly:

First, to say that, you know, some things just don't need "discussing," especially when calling for discussion is itself an act of disobedience ("Did God really say...?" ←regular ol' quotes--still got plenty of those!).

It's like the husband who says there needs to be a discussion around the issue of monogamy in the marriage.

"Um, no, actually, my dear husband, we do NOT 'need to talk about this' and if you ever bring it up again you'll be staying in a motel eating frozen dinners for the rest of your life. For now, I think the sofa is the perfect place for you to reflect more deeply on how the psychologically unhealthy constraints of an outdated and repressive morality, as you put it, might actually be a good thing for you in the long run. Consider it your own, personal listening process."

And, second, I'm just going to put scare quotes around "Anglican Communion" and call it a day. Because daily, this creature I onced loved grows more and more into a parody of itself...