52-year old Katharine Jefferts Schori (shown at the right of this picture in her regalia) is a scientist, pilot, social activist, priest, and bishop. In fact, she is also now ready to begin her tenure as the Presiding Bishop in the Episcopal Church of the U.S.A. Yes, she's the first woman in that lofty position and yes, she thinks the EC (USA) should continue to evolve into an ever more progressive, enlightened and liberal institution.For instance, in this Q&A session with Time, Bishop Katherine describes the Church's primary goals to be hunger, elementary education, healing AIDS and other diseases, and development. Hmmm. Proclaiming the gospel of Christ and teaching the Word of God (a couple of items that probably would have been mentioned by someone less advanced and broad-minded a clergyperson as Bishop Katherine) did not make her list.
Indeed, Bishop Katherine desires to lead the Episcopalian flock in important new directions -- none of that old time religion for her. Thus, she explains to Time's readers that:
* "The Episcopal Church in the U.S. has come to a reasonable conclusion and consensus that gay and lesbian Christians are full members of this church and that our ministry to and with gay and lesbian Christians should be part of the fullness of our life..."
* "I firmly believe that evolution ought to be taught in the schools as the best witness of what modern science has taught us. To try to read the Bible literalistically about such issues disinvites us from using the best of recent scholarship..."
* Her prayer, she reveals to the magazine, is "That we remember the centrality of our mission is to love each other. That means caring for our neighbors. And it does not mean bickering about fine points of doctrine..."
And just what "fine points of doctrine" might Bishop Katherine be referring to? Well, how about the exclusivity of the Christian gospel itself?
In answer to the question. "Is belief in Jesus the only way to get to heaven?", Bishop Katherine replied, "We who practice the Christian tradition understand him as our vehicle to the divine. But for us to assume that God could not act in other ways is, I think, to put God in an awfully small box."
I'd like to say that with such penchants for heresy, for championing immoral causes, and their indifference to the authority of Holy Writ, that "God help the Episcopalians." But, I guess, they prefer to go on like they are...without His interference.