Why those people in England who read The Church of England newspaper might think The Episcopal Church a whack job.

If we wonder why CofE people might think The Episcopal Church is a whack job, we need go no further than the mighty pen of George Conger, who posts on his blog "Conger: an article, "TEC loyalty oaths denounced."

I have no idea if this is the caption in the CofE Newspaper. But the title HE uses is magnified drivel. In the first place there was no such loyalty oath being presented by anybody, period. And more importantly the criticism of the list of suggested questions diocesan standing committees might ask a bishop elect or the diocese in which he or she is elected came from the left and the right. But to read the article, only the regular standard comic right wing crowd was found to wring their hands and cry in dismay that the evil empire TEC was about to come crashing down on them.

When I think of the several reasons for giving up on writing a blog on Anglican and Episcopal futures, this ranks high on the list.  Why bother?  With the drivel that this article represents either readers are hopelessly lost or, better yet, no one is taking it seriously. But just to be clear: There are not any loyalty oaths being proposed by TEC.  The list might be misguided, stupid and unnecessary, but it ain't no loyalty oath.

And I ought to know. Along with a whole gob of people I have taken such oaths at ordination and they were and are real.  At the best these questions are in support of the oath that will be taken, at worse they are managerial gook and unworthy of much sweat or comment.