View From The Pew
by Gerry Hunter
(Posted Sept. 30th, 1999).
The silencing of the Lambs?
The Story So Far.
The Diocese of New Westminster is to be subjected to a concerted effort to embrace the notion that the “blessing” same-sex “unions” ought to be offered in the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. Leading the campaign is Bishop Michael Ingham. In his book “Mansion of the Spirits,” he calls on each one of us to define Jesus for ourselves (“Jesus is the way, the truth and the life for me”) as he does, rather than have ourselves defined by our relationship with Him. As related in earlier episodes, the Diocesan Intranet system, “NWNET,” is scrutinized by Michael’s minions, to insure that no hint of anything contrary to his wishes is ever presented on it. My last episode gave the history of one such deletion, related to comments on the imposed process of the decreed campaign.
The Master Plan
Details of the master plan to make us all see it the bishop’s way were promulgated on 15 August 1999. For the promulgator, the timing could have been much better. His mentor, and the man the British press is suggesting he might succeed, Bishop Holloway of Edinburgh, had just begun to preach the gospel of pot smoking, free love, sadomasochism (and other gentler kinds of wounding), and godless morality, to add to his earlier pronouncements on the sanctity of sodomy. With this outside speaker lined up to force feed the diocesan clergy at the upcoming diocesan clergy conference, November might have worked much better.
Some actually reacted, and said that the message was more satanic than Christian. This contradicts the master plan, as written out in a memo of 15 August 1999 by the bishop. His pronouncement:
“I must emphasize strongly that there be no alternative programs established to push for a particular outcome: that is, no meetings of lobby groups, no parrallel (sic) symposia, no alternative conferences, no distributing of pamphlets or leaflets, no outside speakers, and nothing which appears to politicize the process of candidate selection at Vestry Meetings. This stricture applies to those on all sides of the question.”
Now, the saga continues.
The Silencing of the Lambs
The last thing liberals ever want is to appear conservative and reactionary. It is the believing Christians, after all, who are the big meanies, while the liberals are the bearers of light and love (of all kinds). The “Anglican Chat” conference on the Intranet has been a real thorn in the liberal side, but how to pull it out and still look bright and loving?
The strategy unfolded in several stages. First, there was an accusation that the connection of the Intranet to the whole Internet was illegal. That’s right; the diocese was breaking the law, and might be sued. Egad! Unplug it, right now!
Well, it was not illegal. The word “illegal” was thrown around quite a bit, but in the end, it was never pushed to the limit by the users of it. However, alternate connection arrangements were to be pursued.
Never accuse a liberal of settling for anything less than total victory. Thwarted? Not on your life! All you need to do is get the tame lawyer to write up an opinion that the contents of some of the postings might lead to a lawsuit (we have yet to be told whether or not the lawyer said he thought it would or wouldn’t succeed), and you can shut down the conference. He did, and they did, on the 28th of September.
When we logged into NWNET that day, this message was waiting for us:
IMPORTANT NOTICE
ANGLICAN
CHAT - 28 Sep 99 2148
Ron Wickens
Your NWnet Committee have been ordered by the Diocese to close down this conference for reasons of liability.
Go well and in God's love,
RonW+
Admin NWnet Official email system of the Diocese of New Westminster British Columbia, Canada
Not a lot to go on there. But, a bit more followed:
A
Bit of Explaination (sic)
Anglican Chat - 29 Sep 99 - 0247
Ron Barnes
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
With much regret, and as Consultant to NWnet, I have, with the advice and consent of the NWnet Administrator, Ron Wickens, shut down the Anglican Chat conference.
We have done so on the command of the Chair of the Diocesan Communications Committee, Ray Hudson. Since NWnet is, and continues to be, a servant of the diocese, it is important that NWnet respond to decisions of the Communication Committee. Thus, as of now, Anglican Chat has become a READ ONLY conference for an indefinite period. No user (except the administrator or subadministrators) may post any msgs to this conference. Access to Anglican Chat from any other Anglican diocesan system has been cut.
This step has been taken sadly, but necessarily. It has been alleged that several msgs breached our NWnet Guidelines: "All persons are to be treated as brothers or sisters in Christ". It was also alleged that these msgs were such as to leave our diocese open to possible legal action. Thus the immediacy and importance of our action. Sadly the msgs of these thoughtless people have ruined it for us all.
Your NWnet Committee will discuss all this in the future with the Communications Committee. Perhaps, in the future, Anglican Chat may return. However, it is likely in the future that all notes to Anglican Chat will need to be Approved by a suitably chosen person. (If you as a member of the diocese wish to volunteer to be such an "Approver", please send a note to Lorie Chortyk (our Communications Officer), who may decide in the future to restore Anglican Chat, under these strict conditions.)
Our Guidelines for NWnet are very clear: "All persons are to be treated as brothers or sisters in Christ".
The NWnet Team sincerely regrets any msgs posted to NWnet that may have violated such Guidelines.
Ron Barnes+
Consultant to the NWnet Committee
Note, please, the progression: The connection is illegal, and we could be sued. The guidelines of content have been broken, and we could be liable to a suit.
What Gives, Anyway?
If you are having trouble following the progress and evolution of this liberal ploy, bear in mind the master plan. The only voice to be heard in this diocese, on an issue that could, and is showing signs that it will, tear it apart, are the voices which have the sanction of the corporate officials of the organization. In a six page memo (which I intend to discuss in detail in another essay), there is an elaborate structure and procedure laid down, with the directive quoted above to try and ensure that there’s a monopoly in place. Now whether or not any of the process succeeds as intended, it is important for appearances sake that it goes along smoothly, unquestioned, and unchallenged. Otherwise, the image of loving light-bearer, so fondly embraced by the liberal faction, will be in tatters. Even with the power to do as they please, the local revisionists still don’t want to appear to be bullies. No, those benighted fools who will not get with their program must be made to look mean or unenlightened.
One of the big problems the Anglican Chat forum gave the liberal power elite was the response to the Holloway affair. The line that caught my own eye was: given that he was invited so long ago, we can’t undo the invitation now, can we? And yes, there were some strong sentiments expressed on spending our money to foist this man on our clergy, and very strong expressions concerning his avowal of promiscuity, dope smoking, godless morality, and all the rest of his agenda. That, we are to believe, can lead to a lawsuit. (Oh those vile, unthinking, believing Christians who stand for revealed truth!)
The power elite could probably get away with the flimflam, if they were indeed the sole controllers of information. Unfortunately for them, they aren’t the only people who know tort law, and how libel works. The simple fact is that there are different standards for public figures than for private persons. The Bishop of Edinburgh is a public figure. He gives interviews and press conferences, and he writes books. When one does that, one must face adverse replies in the form of fair comment. If a Bishop of the church says he presents the view of Christianity in public, it is fair comment to point out that no, it is the view of Satan, provided at least as cogent a case can be made for the second viewpoint as for the first. However, fair comment has no place in a diocese where sole source commentary has been dictated by fiat.
When you put all the pieces together, here’s a pattern that emerges. The Diocesan and +Holloway are quite close. The Diocesan has an agenda he is determined to impose. +Holloway is in tune with the agenda, and is getting a chance to add desired input. Never mind what he says or believes. Criticism or fair comment has no place where it might disrupt the process and impede the agenda.
A single source of information is vital to the implementation of the process, and the progress of the agenda. But, there’s a leak. It’s called “Anglican Chat.” Now, all of the technical facilities are in place to vet postings to it. What, though, would using them do to the image of light-bearing love? Very well. Find a reason to shut it down. Let’s see ... the Internet connection is illegal. We could be sued. Pull the plug!. Wait, it really isn’t illegal. Ha! The postings to it could get us sued. Never mind whether the suit would hold more water than a sieve, it could get us sued. Shut it down! Nothing nasty here. It’s the responsible thing to do.
Epilogue
As I said, never accuse a liberal of settling for anything less than a total victory. “Anglican Chat” had been successfully shut down, but the Internet connection was still up. “Legal advice” had worked to cover its shutting down. With the Sudatenland in hand, it was time to get the rest. On 30 September, the following notice appeared:
30-September-99
12:45:35
Public Notices
From: Ron Wickens
Subject: re INTERNET DISCONNECTION
To: Public Notices
NWnet NOTICES
NWComm
Lorie Chortyk
Dawn McDonald
Ron Barnes
Bev Barnes
Please note:
In compliance with the advice of the advice Chancellor of the Diocese and at the direct request of the Communications Committee, to whom NWnet is responsible, Internet connection will be terminated at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, Sept 30 and will remain so indefinitely.
We recognise the problems this creates, and with you are sorry that this must occur.
Go well and in God's love,
RonW+
Admin
NWnet
Official email system of
the Diocese of New Westminster
British Columbia, Canada
The synod vote will not happen until 2001. In the meantime, Orwell’s words about the future, in his book “1984,” are very apt for the Diocese of New Westminster:
If you want a picture of the
future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - for ever.
(Pt III, Ch 3)
The active persecution of believers in the Diocese of New Westminster has just begun.