How could the Post also publish - without any apparent editor's checking for accuracy - columnist Meyerson's claim that "[Nigerian Archbishop Peter] Akinola's agenda so touched the hearts of the Northern Virginia faithful that they anointed him, rather than Jeferts Schori, as their bishop"?

Jeferts Schori was never "their bishop." Their bishop was Peter Lee of the Diocese of Virginia. Schori is the Episcopal Church's newly elected presiding bishop (of the entire denomination, not the Diocese of Virginia).

Because the two largest parishes among the near-dozen who voted to leave the Episcopal Church were from Fairfax City and County, columnist Meyerson labeled them: "The Fairfax Phobics" - as in that Sodomy Lobby-coined (but badly contrived) epithet "Homophobia."

Meyerson furthered this malediction by referring to "frequently fundamentalist believers of often opposed faiths in common fear of challenges to ancient tribal norms."

Since one of the "ancient (Hebrew) tribal norms" was one of the Ten Commandments, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery, it is interesting indeed to take part of Meyerson's column and where he defends sodomy, substitute adultery; such as the following:

"The coming together in the spring 2005 of Israel's chief rabbis, the deputy mufti of Jerusalem and leaders of Catholic and Armenian Churches, burying ancient amenities to jointly condemn an adultery festival (formerly Gay Pride). The Orthodox International founding father was none other than Pope John Paul II, who spent much time and energy endeavoring to reconcile various orthodox Christian religions and whose ecumenism prompted him to warn the Anglicans not to ordain adulterous (formerly gay) priests."

This Washington Post church-basher Meyerson also writes of what he defines as "the Catholic Church's inimitable backwardness" and claims: "America's schismatic Episcopalians are following in [John Paul's] footsteps ... searching the globe for sufficiently benighted bishops."

And further: "The founders of the (Episcopal) Church believed, within the context of their time, that all men were created equal. Today's defectors have thought it over in the context of our own time, and decided they are not."

Did the original Episcopal Church in the United States ever believe in the ordination of priests and consecration of bishops who are self-announced and practicing sodomists?

Meyerson's Washington Post column surely contends that they should have then, as a slim majority of Episcopal bishops believe today.

But what if a slim majority of today's Episcopal bishops voted to approve of adultery (which is widely practiced) - but which has nothing of the death rates of AIDS?

And what if a slim majority of the Episcopal bishops who voted to approve sodomy also voted to approve atheism, as well as adultery?

Finally, the Post's Meyerson writes in his Dec. 20 column:

"The presiding Nigerian archbishop, Peter Akinola, promotes legislation in his country that would forbid gays and lesbians to form organizations or to eat together in restaurants, and that would send them to jail for indulging in same-gender sexual activity."

Archbishop Akinola spoke quite differently on December 19:

"Sadly, I have also heard that some are suggesting that you are now affiliated with a church that seeks to punish homosexual persons. That is a distortion of our true position. We are a church that teaches the truth of the Holy Scriptures and understands that every person, regardless of their religion or sexual orientation, is made in the image of God, loved by God and deserving of the utmost respect. That is the conviction that informs our passion for evangelism and drives our determination to establish new dioceses and congregations. We have no desire to place anyone outside the reach of God's saving love and that is why we have supported well-reasoned statements such as Resolution 1.10 from the Lambeth Conference in 1998 and also the section of the Dromantine Communiqué, which condemns the 'victimization or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex.'

"As I am sure you have heard, there is a bill currently being debated by the Nigerian Legislature that addresses the topic of same-sex marriages and homosexual activism. The Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria, in its desire to see the strengthening of marriage and family life in our society, has commended the legislators for tackling this difficult issue. We have no desire to see our nation follow the path of license and immorality that we have witnessed in other parts of the world. And we also oppose the severe sanctions of Islamic law.

"We recognize that there are genuine concerns about individual human rights that must be addressed both in the framing of the law and its implementation. I am glad to inform you that while the honorable speaker of the House, a Muslim, wanted the immediate and outright passage of the bill, the deputy speaker, an Anglican, persuaded his colleagues to allow full public debate on it."

Will the Washington Post ever apologize for this multiple misrepresentations?

Don't hold your breath.

And is it possible that those Virginia parishes that have overwhelmingly voted to leave the Episcopal Church will be able to successfully resist property lawsuits by the Diocese of Virginia?

Virginia Code § 57-9 reads as follows:

"A. If a division has heretofore occurred or shall hereafter occur in a church or religious society, to which any such congregation whose property is held by trustees is attached, the members of such congregation over 18 years of age may, by a vote of a majority of the whole number, determine to which branch of the church or society such congregation shall thereafter belong. Such determination shall be reported to the circuit court of the county or city, wherein the property held in trust for such congregation or the greater part thereof is; and if the determination be approved by the court, it shall be so entered in the court's civil order book, and shall be conclusive as to the title to and control of any property held in trust for such congregation, and be respected and enforced accordingly in all of the courts of the Commonwealth."

END