12/09/2009

It ain't that funny at all: Orombi assistant thinks it is...


According to The Daily Monitor of Uganda, The Rev. Alison Barfoot, described Canon Glasspool's election as bishop in Los Angeles, "funny and unbiblical."

Here is what The Daily Monitor had to say in the article titled, "Orombi angry over new lesbian bishop":

"The Church of Uganda has expressed dismay over news that a lesbian in the diocese of Los Angeles in the United States has been elected an assistant bishop.

Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, 55, married to a female companion for 21 years, won 153 and 203 votes from clergy and the lay, respectively to beat two other candidates.

However, the National Episcopal Church will have to approve her pick before an expected enthronement that would make her the second homosexual bishop in history after New Hampshire’s Gene Robinson, consecrated in 2003.

Disaster recipe
On Monday, Archbishop Luke Orombi’s assistant for International Relations, Ms Alison Barfoot, described as “funny and unbiblical” the choice of Ms Glasspool.

“We believe the Bible condemns homosexual behaviour as immoral. So how can a homosexual be a bishop?” she said. “This decision of the Episcopal Church in America [the equivalent Anglican Church there] will only bring more problems and divisions.”

Well, perhaps the writers Tabu Butagira and Stephen Otage took liberties with Ms. Barfoot's offering of derisive language. Perhaps, however, it is bang on. So, she thinks its funny and unbiblical? What a crock.

How Ms. Barfoot got to be the assistant for International Relations and somehow the spokeswoman for the Archbishop is perhaps funny, indeed perhaps laughable. What the hell is going on here? And, while we are at it, perhaps the Archbishop can speak for himself. But no, if he were to show his head some wise or astute reporter might ask him just why he has nothing to say about the impending Anti-gay bill in the legislature or what he has to say about preachers calling gay people cockroaches or suggesting they should (if not executed) allowed to rot in jail for life?

This is a travesty, right up there with the silence of the lamb like ABC.

9 comments:

  1. Father Harris, FINALLY Orombi has a reason to throw rubbish (again) at TEC while attempting to lift his shameful head into ¨international¨ view...it´s his way of dealing with issues that are so far beyond him that he can´t even cope...afterall, even the U.S. Supreme Court won´t pamper him and his gang of thieves/whiners as the attempt to deceive other Christians in the U.S.A and poach illegally on TEC property...Orombi, is having his ¨assistant for International Affairs¨ (I wonder who the head blundering idiot is?), a female, make wise cracks about another female so he´ll look reasonable (that will never happen after the mess he has put himself and his Church in)...obviously, Canon Mary Glasspool OUTTHINKS and outpaces this assistant clergyperson in carrying the GOOD NEWS and full fledged International conveyer of GOOD NEWSdriven HONESTY...Ugandan Christians? Unfortunately a simpering crowd of devout people who have been deceived at Church and will MURDER their brothers and sisters and best friends at The Body of Christ to PROVE IT.

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  2. Hmmm. You must be spending quite a bit of time these days in Uganda to speak with such clarity and judgement with regard to what the ABp of Uganda is and is not saying/doing within his country.

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  3. To quote our favourite magazine, the Anglican Digest (not), 'Makes the heart sad....' in this case to see a woman scorning a sister priest, and moreover, being a part of such a horrific organisation.

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  4. Actually, when I heard this, I remembered a character Martin Short used to play on SCTV - he was a recurring character, a sweaty, chain-smoking, arms-and-legs-crossed-defensive lawyer, always speaking for some obviously repugnantly guilty client.

    One of his catch-phrases:

    "I'm not defensive! It's just so funny you'd think that!"

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  5. I am hestitant to go wild on this one, Mark, translation is always screwed up. Thoughts?: funny: ha ha? funny? weird, we don't handle this problem well? funny, we disagree with this theology? if you take this word out of this announcement, there's not much left, beyond not seeing eye to eye.

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  6. Had an opportunity to attend one of Ms. Barfoot's sermons.(Was at the university chapel). She was funny and witty, and was approachable, always having a smile on her face. The same can be said of The most reverend Orombi(Archbishop). This whole sad saga is threatening to erase the good moments I had with them in Church. I go to church every sunday with unease, knowing my church's position(or lack of one) on this bill. Saddest thing,like minded christians have no where else to go, and can not express their opinions for the fear of isolation and at the worst being accused of "promoting" a gay lifestyle( a criminal offence if the bill passes).

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  7. I knew Alison back in the dio. Kansas. She was an assistant at Christ Church - Overland Park (KC). Her rector was a rabidly homophobic guy, Ron McCrary. Both Ron and Alison were delightful to be with, but both of them were wounded people (aren't we all?). However, Ron led the parish out of TEC to affiliate with Uganda, and Alison has been over there (best of my knowledge) ever since. I have no idea why it is thought that she has the professional credentials for her current position. I still think the bishop was in serious error - he let them buy the church property and effectively abandoned 2-300 members who did not want to leave TEC... To give Ron credit, he'd built the parish up to the largest in the diocese...

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  8. The Rev. Ms. Barfoot was on staff of Christ Church, Overland Park, Kansas, before that congregation left the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas for the Church of Uganda. Archbishop Orombi was a frequent enough visitor to that congregation before the change, as were other Ugandan bishops; and clergy of the congregation, including Ms. Barfoot, were frequent enough visitors to Uganda as well. That is how they came to know one another.

    I was acquainted with Alison before the requested transfer by letter dimissory from Kansas to Uganda. She was responsible for, among other things, pastoral care, and as a hospital chaplain I had occasion to speak with her periodically. As I recall she did that job well.

    I don't know why Orombi would choose an American woman for the position, unless perhaps it was because he had so many Americans he was talking to in those days as he sought to "offer them shelter." In any case, she has chosen her context with full knowledge, and in what was at the time proper form. I can only assume she was conscious enough about her choice of words, if not exactly deliberate.

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