Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, November 12, 2008


The greatest block today in the way of woman's emancipation
is the church, the canon law, the Bible and the priesthood.

- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, “saint” in our Episcopal liturgical
calendar (Feast Day: July 20), born on this day, 1815


And here we are, the Episcopal Church, celebrating the life of S C Stanton as one of our “saints”!! A great lady! Brought up a strict Calvinist, she organized a group of women to write a Commentary on the RSV version of the Scriptures, since no women had been on the translating committee. She and four other women organized the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls NY in 1848. She held the Church accountable for oppressing women by using Scripture to enforce subordination of women in marriage and to prohibit them from ordained ministry. She held society accountable for denying women equal access to professional jobs, property ownership, the vote, and for granting less pay for the same work.

I have issues with the Episcopal Church – a lot! The only reason I am still a member of it (and it requires an enormous amount of self-discipline!) is because we do eventually get to seeing the error of our ways. I attribute this to the fact that we expect the Spirit to guide us and actually pay attention now and then.

My annoyance with the Episcopal Church (and believe me, much more with the “Church” in general) is that we do not seem able to learn from our experience. We know perfectly well, or should, from people like Elizabeth Stanton, that God indeed sticks our face in “it”, like one does a baby cat or dog, trying to teach it something important. So we learn God’s ways: Women: equal! Slavery: bad! Racism: Bad! Etc. Infuriatingly, we are still flim-flamming on the issue of homosexuality, basically (say I charitably) because we are concerned about our friends in the Anglican Communion. My view is: Look! We have LOTS of experience in the Episcopal Church with Gayfolk. For God’s sake, get a move on!

My point: Religion is highly susceptible to use by “the Devil” to block God’s plans. Cady Stanton knew better.

And we should too.

Brian+