Episcopal General Convention Behaves as Democratic Party at Prayer

Read other IRD articles covering the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church here.

The House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church has passed in quick succession a series of resolutions endorsing liberal political positions. The resolutions adopted by the denomination’s General Convention ranged from an endorsement of “card check” labor organizing reforms to support of transsexuality.

Once called “the Republican Party at prayer” for its close historic association with the GOP, the Episcopal Church’s General Convention has further solidified a swing 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Effectively it has endorsed the Democratic Party’s legislative agenda in the 111th Congress.

Resolution D039, entitled “Fix Our Broken Labor Laws” calls for legislation that will “provide workers the choice of seeking union recognition either through an election, or through a majority sign-up on cards.” The language closely mirrors the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation heavily promoted by union organizers that would provide the option of employee sign-up cards as a method of labor organizing. Currently, unions can only be organized through a secret ballot.

An amendment proposed by a deputy from the Diocese of Tennessee to remove the language about sign-up cards instead of elections was easily defeated on a voice vote after deputies from the dioceses of Los Angeles, Eastern Michigan, San Diego quickly rose to voice their objections. The full resolution was adopted overwhelmingly.

Resolution D012, entitled “Support of Transgender Civil Rights” calls on the Episcopal Church to support the enactment of laws that “prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or the expression of one’s gender identity” and “treat physical violence inflicted on the basis of a victim’s gender identity or expression as a hate crime.”

“This resolution speaks to a civil rights issue,” said Deputy Sarah Lawton of California, a member of the National and International Concerns Committee that cleared the legislation earlier in the week.

The language of the resolution echoes changes to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act advocated by transsexual activists, as well as assigning a special protected status for transsexuals under federal “hate crimes” legislation. Since inflicting physical violence upon any person is already illegal, conferring a special status upon transsexual persons would expand such a crime from being a state matter into a federal one that would bring about the involvement of federal law enforcement.

Opponents of such legislation argue that all persons should be treated equally under the law, and criticized the designation of special protected classes as “thought crimes”.

“I ask you to join me in fighting for my rights so that one day I don’t have to be afraid to walk down the street,” said a transsexual deputy from the Diocese of Rhode Island. The deputy shared his experience from the previous night at a local restaurant where he overheard another customer voicing comments that he categorized as hateful.

“Please, make it easy for them [transsexual persons] to live their lives as God has called them to,” said a deputy from the Diocese of Massachusetts.

No opposition arose to speak against the resolution, and the subsequent vote was overwhelmingly in favor.

Deputies also approved resolutions supporting the repeal of defense of marriage acts, and a heavily re-written resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israel resolution, B027, was described by Deputy Lawton as an “omnibus” bill that compiled the sentiments of numerous resolutions introduced on Israelis and Palestinians (to read IRD President Mark Tooley’s commentary on anti-Israel resolutions at General Convention, click here.)

On Thursday, deputies are expected to take up a resolution calling for universal health care and a single-payer system (taxpayer funded health care channeled through a government health care authority.) Not coincidentally, congressional Democrats have just introduced legislation to enact universal health care.