MORE FALLOUT FOR EPISCOPALIANS. The Catholic Church has canceled an international meeting between with the Anglican Church as a result of the ordination of homosexual bishop Gene Robinson. The question is, how much pressure will this put on the Anglican Communion to drop the Episcopal Church? I confess that, as a Baptist, I am not sure I care if the Catholics and Anglicans get together. But the conflict is interesting.

First, it is interesting to me that a bishop cares more about furthering the homosexual cause than his church. He is willing to have people leave the already tiny Episcopalian denomination, then cause millions to break fellowship with his denomination over his ordination, and to break with years of orthodox tradition he has pledged to uphold.

Second, it is interesting to see the Episcopalian hierarchy feel the same way. The rank and file must feel horribly betrayed.

Baptists have from time to time felt betrayed by their leaders, and they engaged in unchristian behavior in their convention fights and made embarrassing public statements. But, we cannot begin to identify with the pain Episcopalian believers feel over this issue.

MORE CATHOLIC FALLOUT. The Catholics, of course, have their own moral crisis, as the child abuse scandal plays on. The Archdiocese of Boston is selling the palatial residence of the archbishop to help pay $85 million in settlements to compensate victims of sexual abuse by priests. That is 85 and six zeros.

This mahogany and marble Italian palazzo is where Archbishop Law sat and decided to move around pedophilic priests so no one would know they were having sex with the children of the parish.

The common theme here is supposed ministers of the gospel living in continual sexual sin, the church refusing to do anything about it, and the church reaping the consequences. You have to think about Paul’s outrage at the Corinthians for tolerating open sin in their midst. You also have to think that the sowing and reaping principle applies. I would worry about Romans 11:21, for if God id not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.