Since 7/7 many have made statements to attempt to explain what seems to them a contradiction in terms. Since the violence cannot be denied, their only course is to argue that the connection with Islam is invalid. Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Brian Paddick said that "Islam and terrorists are two words that do not go together." His boss the Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, asserted that there is nothing wrong with being a fundamentalist Muslim.

The statement released yesterday includes this passage: The House of Bishops does not regard entering into a civil partnership as intrinsically incompatible with holy orders, provided the person concerned is willing to give assurances to his or her bishop that the relationship is consistent with the standards for the clergy.

We do expect them, however, to protect our country from policies that will be harmful to future generations. When the people of our great country elect Christian men and women to public office, we who are also Christians expect them to pray, seek God's wisdom and legislate with the wisdom that they receive from Him, not to make decisions based on popular opinion.

I do not know what the legal situation is with St. John's Church, but most Episcopal Churches in New York are religious corporations which are independent of the diocese. They may be a member of the diocese, but as religious corporations they have independent legal existence. If a bishop here did what Bishop Smith did in Connecticut - seize a parish without any civil court proceedings - he would face something more serious than violating his own church canons in wrongly deposing a priest.