Why Are They Lying?

There has been an interesting wrinkle in the accusations that my opposition is tossing at me. I don’t know the true nature of Nashotah House (NH)… according to these sorts, at least. Hmm… Let’s look at some objective sources:

Nashotah House is an Anglo-Catholic seminary of the Episcopal Church (TEC) located in Nashotah, Wisconsin, approximately 30 miles (50 km) from Milwaukee, in the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashotah_House

Here is a little something from the official NH website:

http://www.nashotah.edu/admissions.htm

Did you notice the fulsome blurb about the priestess Marjorie Everlof, who is a graduate of NH? Like it or not, it is proof positive that NH advocates female ordination, is heartily in favour of it, and has no intention of abandoning its support for it.

I would say this straight up to Mr Munday, the dean of this institution:

“I bear no hatred towards you, your family, or, indeed, any other Anglican. However, you are not Orthodox in any way, shape, or form and I would oppose your entry into Orthodoxy at all costs. Jonas Paffhausen lied to you. He does not represent the mainstream of the Church. If you wish to know what the Church really thinks, look at the situation evolving in the dialogue with the EKD, that is, the EKD elected a female bishop as its head. Now, look at the MP’s reaction to it. We do not accept female clergy or the groups that ordain them (you belong to such a body, indeed, your presiding bishop is female). We reject the 39 Articles completely, utterly, and without reservation (frankly, those underpin your seminary). We condemn Calvinistic theology in all its stipulations (honestly, it’s the basis of your faith).

I am sorry that Jonas Paffhausen did what he did when he signed an agreement with you, for he raised false expectations. As an Orthodox Christian, I am sorry that one of my bishops misrepresented the teachings of Christ and His Church. Mr Munday, you DO have a choice. You can stay an Anglican or you can become Orthodox. The latter is very difficult for an adult, especially one such as yourself, for you would have to abandon your entire heterodox formation as a clergyman and start from ‘a cat sat on a mat’. It is not kind to lie to others… especially on religious matters. I would never be anything other than polite and gracious to you… but, I shall not lie on matters of such consummate importance. You are not one of us, neither is anyone at your seminary, or anyone else in your church, for that matter. I wish you well personally and wish that God shall look after you and yours and bring you nothing but good… yet, you are not an Orthodox Christian, and nothing can change that fact. If I have offended you, I apologise, but, I had to speak nothing but the truth to you, for Paffhausen and Hatfield lied to you. Go with God”.

I fear that it is too late for the OCA… they do not care for the rest of the Church. If JP goes ahead with the crack-brained lunacy of an “Anglican Rite”, he shall break the Church’s unity. I do not know what is going to happen after he does so, but, I fear that evidence is accumulating that proves that JP is going to do it, come what may. The screams from the supporters of JP shows that objective fact does not underpin the arguments of the pro-autocephalist party. NH is a part of the TEC. Full stop. Stop trying to tell the world that it is not. It is not by any stretch of the imagination “Orthodox”, even with a small “o”. What I find interesting is that many who are pumping for this SVS-NH combine are former Anglicans. We all know what Scripture says about dogs returning to their vomit… I fear it is true, all too tragically, in this case. (No doubt, these sorts shall excoriate me for not praising NH… but, NH is an unrepentant bunch of Calvinists and that is all they are capable of being religiously, unfortunately.)

It’s not a pretty picture, is it? I’m only sorry that JP and Co lied to the good people at NH. I apologise most sincerely and deeply to them for that. God willing, they shall see it and reject the SVS concordat… do you really wish  unity with such people? Ask the gang at SVS why Peter l’Hullier ran off to the Caribbean and why he left Paris in the 70s… I wonder what they’ll tell you (you may also ask them about Robert Kondratick and his “interesting” notions about church funds…)? Oh… did they tell you about Andrei Dmitrievich Schmemann and how he opposed his identical-twin brother’s modernism (Andrei was the founder of OLTR, a group in France that fights Renovationism in the Church… he only died recently in late 2008… a true gentleman to his fingertips!)?

To be sure, I would offer Mr Munday a drink, shake my head ruefully, and say, “It DOES take all kinds, doesn’t it, sir?” I’m sure he would meet my gaze and say, “It certainly does, madame”.

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Saturday 14 November 2009

Albany NY

Editor’s Postscript:

Some uninformed people blather about an Anglican splinter group known as “the Anglican Church in America”. They are no more Orthodox than the TEC. They’re nothing but Protestants too. I see little difference between them and the TEC. It’s the same Calvinist theology and the same indifferent “comprehensiveness”. Don’t forget… the MP condemned the “branch theory” explicitly… and that is the basis of the weltanshauung of both the TEC and all the other Anglican bodies, bar none. In short, Anglicans are Anglicans, and we are unable bring them into the Church as a body… history has taught us that. Individuals… yes… established groups… no… it’s just buying trouble on the instalment plan.