That means that this diocese - in which George Washington was once a parochial lay leader - has already spent $1 million and has decided to borrow another 1 million to pay for the cost of suing a dozen local churches.

Two of these dozen, Truro in Fairfax and The Falls Church (in the community named for it) were in existence prior to the Revolutionary War and were part of the Church of England.

An overwhelming majority of the members of these two historic parishes recently voted against continuing their membership in the Episcopal Church. They did so because their faith is the same as existed at the time of George Washington: that the practice of sodomy, which is so frequently condemned in Holy Scripture, is not only morally wrong, but re mains the major means of distribution of that massive lethal disease AIDS, for which science has not been able to find a preventative or a cure.

When Great Britain's recognition of American independence was agreed to by the Treaty of Paris on Sept. 3, 1783, the 400 congregations of the Church of England in the colonies did not formally separate from the Church of England. That did not occur until 1789.

They were then forced to break from the Church of England - under penalty of treason.

Until 1786, these churches in Virginia remained the state religion - until passage of the Virginia Statute For Religious Freedom.

The Church of England's Canon (Church) law of 1604 required that all clergy must swear public allegiance to the king.

Despite this, in 1787 the Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated new bishops William White and Samuel Provoost for the dioceses of Pennsylvania and New York; and, in 1790, James Madison as bishop of Virginia.

There was no international lawsuit by the Church of England to try to recover the extensive amount of church property it lost in the 400 congregations in the new United States.

By Dec. 15, 1791, the states ratified what became known as The Bill of Rights - the very First Amendment of which opens with the following:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Three-quarters of the Founding Fathers were members of the Church of England when they led the American Revolution.

What would these patriots - who risked their lives for freedom of reli gion, among other freedoms - think of the current attempt by hierarchical lawyers to seize all the church property of those whose consciences and biblical faith cannot go along with sodomy-acceptance?

How on earth is the First Amendment's guarantee of the free exercise of religion not imperiled by this current legal threat of property seizure? For there is also the news that the Executive Board of the Diocese of Virginia authorized diocesan staff to plan "the sale of non-strategic diocesan real property to raise needed cash."

Think about that.

How much diocesan property is "non-strategic"?

Why is it non-strategic?

Who is allowed to determine what diocesan property can be sold to finance the current attempt at legal seizure of more church property - belonging to long-incorporated parishes?

Will the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia become the state's largest real estate sales office?

On Thursday, Virgin ia Attorney General Robert McDonnell filed a motion to intervene in this court battle between the Diocese of Virginia and the 11 seceding churches.

Attorney General McDonnell, a Roman Catholic who is planning to run for governor in 2009, in his brief defended the constitutionality of the Virginia Division Statute (Virginia Code #57-9) as follows:

"As a matter of federal constitutional law, the Episcopal Church is simply wrong. The Constitution does not require that local church property disputes be resolved by deferring to national and regional church leaders."

Statute #57-9 says that if the majority of a congregation's members decide to leave the parent denomination, that congregation can retain the church's property.

McDonnell's 26-page motion cited the Supreme Courts of both Virginia and the United States. He noted that although the First Amendment drastically limits a court's role in settling intra-church disputes, the state can intervene as long as the case does not involve doctrine, ritual, liturgy or tenets of faith.

During a four-day hearing before Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows in November, lawyers for the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church said that statute #57-9 does not apply in this case and that the church - not the state - should decide who keeps the property.

Judge Bellows is expected to rule on this internationally watched case in the coming weeks. Both sides have indicated they will appeal whatever ruling Bellows makes, so this case will probably go to the Virginia and maybe even the United States Supreme Courts.

The vice chairman of the organization of 21 seceding churches, A.D.V. (Anglican Diocese of Virginia), Jim Oakes, told reporters:

"The attorney general's brief validates the position of our parishes and directly refutes arguments that were made by the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia following the November trial.

Virginia has a long and rich history of deferring to congregational control of property. The Division Statute itself clearly states that majority rule should be the deciding factor in determining the ownership of church property when a group of congregations has divided from its former denomination.

In his brief, the attorney general ratified the authority of the Division Statute and noted that the interpretation of the Statute by ADV lawyers is 'both textually and historically accurate."

END