Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Let's Pretend!

As happens with most conventions, almost everything is passing --  unfortunately.  Sometimes pious fictions get approved as well.  In the case of resolution 7-02, we had a deliberate white-washing of history.

The resolution, which finally passed with an 83.5% approval, stated that CCM opinion 02-2309 "should not have been and shall never be understood" to grant immunity to any member of Synod in the case of misconduct.  During the debate on the issue, a delegate stood up and read the words of the opinion as published, "The member that acted cannot be charged since he or she acted according to the advice of his or er ecclesiastical supervisor" (emphasis added).  The floor committee, in the person of its chairman, D.P. Lane Seitz, proceeded to say that the opinion did not say what it said and did not mean what it meant because the CCM has had other opinions on the same topic.  That is intentionally misguiding and misinforming the convention.

I believe the assembly passed the thing by the margin it did because the delegates are getting tired of the debate - and the endless amendments, and some people there simply don't want that opinion overturned because it would mean that expulsion the D.P. David Benke, overturned by that CCM opinion, was proper all those years ago.  Regardless of its consequences, or lack of them, the resolution as passed is wrong - and it is not even a 'pious fantasy'.  The argument was made, by a member of "Jesus First", that the problem was so long ago and we should let the past be by-gones.  A lie, however, even when codified and made part of the official history of the Synod by convention, is still a lie.

But, hey, we are church!  This convention is all about unity and forgiveness and such.  So why rock the boat?

Somebody someday will point back at words (not necessarily these, but it will happen) carefully crafted to hide the truth, and say, "See?  They passed it back then!"  It won't matter that people did not know what they were doing, or that they endorsed a dishonest statement.  It will just be fodder for the mill, to promote something else, perhaps dicey and suspect.  But, since it is a convention, and everyone is supposed to be on their toes and paying attention, let's pretend!

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