Listen to Bishop Doyle's sermon, "#22 Nicene Creed We Expect the World to Come" preached at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Decatur, TX.
More at www.texasbishop.com
Monday, January 29, 2024
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Sylvia Bartz Memorial Service Sermon
Listen to Bishop Doyle's sermon, "Sylvia Bartz Memorial Service Sermon".
More at www.texasbishop.com
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
#19 Nicene Creed Apostolic Church
Listen to Bishop Doyle's sermon, "#19 Nicene Creed Apostolic Church" preached at All Saints Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, TX.
More at www.texasbishop.com
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Christmas Eve
Listen to Bishop Doyle's sermon, "Christmas Eve" preached at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Wharton, TX.
More at www.texasbishop.com
An Open Letter Regarding The Pseudo-Religious Ideology of Racial Purity: An Episcopal and Theological Exhortation
Bishops Are Not Political Pundits
An Episcopal and Theological Exhortation
Bishops are not political pundits. We are equally the pastors to Republicans, Democrats,
Independents, and others. We would not presume to instruct people how to vote. Immigration
policy is a worry for Americans of various perspectives, and politicians should grapple with the
question. However, bishops are teachers of the faith as well shepherds of the souls of our
parishioners. We speak specifically as such.
Donald Trump, our former President, has recently called immigrants ‘vermin,’ and had said
that they ‘poison the blood of our country.’ A clearer example of racism, in this case with an
eugenic edge, one could not find. When the parallels to Nazi rhetoric were pointed out, Trump
claimed he knew no such thing. But then he repeated the very same statements, when he most
certainly was aware of the parallels.
The idea of racial purity is an idol, something false and harmful to which people bind
themselves. As such it presents a corrupt doctrine of the human person, since it is the human
being per se who is ‘in the image of God’ (Genesis 1:26).
Here we do well to note a modern doctrinal tradition which can help to inform us. The fight
against the racialist German Christians led to the insight that acquiescence amounted to allowing
another leader (Fuehrer) over the Church than Christ (see The Barmen Declaration of 1934). Two
generations later, the Alliance of Reformed Churches in 1982 declared at Ottawa that ‘apartheid
is heresy’, for behind it is a ‘pseudo-religious ideology.’ To be sure these examples involve political
movements of greater duration and articulation than we are at present dealing with. But alluding
to these precedents, as we call out such a trend of thought early, is warranted. In the case of the
former President’s repeated statements, the false teaching implied in his statements is the same.
The ancient serpent moves through such words.
And so, in our capacity as bishops, we adjure our flocks to reject this false teaching. We exhort
political leaders to speak up in its condemnation. We invite fellow Christian leaders to cleave to
the Word of God and to separate themselves explicitly from such a thought. Finally, we express
our hope that our nation can, at this juncture, by God’s grace, follow the ‘better angels of our
nature.’
Signed,
The Rt. Rev. Cathleen Bascom, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas
The Rt. Rev. Larry Benfield, Bishop Resigned of the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas
The Rt. Rev. Mark Cowell, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas
The Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
The Rt. Rev. Jeff Fisher, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
The Rt. Rev. Michael Hunn, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande
The Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton, Assistant Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
The Rt. Rev. Scott Mayer, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas
The Rt. Rev. Jacob Owensby, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana
The Rt. Rev. Poulson Reed, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma
The Rt. Rev. Kathryn Ryan, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
The Rt. Rev. Michael Smith, Assistant Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)