Of Two Minds? Double Standard - or Double Minded?

Do we have a double standard here? Is this another example that we are a "church with two minds?" Is it a double standard or are we double minded? Wonder why no one brought up the Episcopal Constitution and Canons when it came to imposing a mandate on only booking union hotels. See what Matt Kennedy has to say about the passage of D047 vs any attempt to pass Windsor-compliant resolutions at General Convention.

Here's Matt:

Pay special attention to the word “commit” in the resolution below and compare it with the action words of the substitute motion moved by Chris Contrell+ and ruled out of order by the House of Deputies’ Parliamentarian.

The substitute motion was ruled out of order because, according to the Parliamentarian, General Convention has no power or authority to “effect a moratorium” on anything in the church, much less in individual dioceses. We are, after all, a “democratic” church.

And yet, take a look at Resolution D047:

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention support actively the right of workers to form a union, and increase the support in our cities and states for passage of “living wage” legislation; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention commit the Church at all levels to contract solely with union hotels in its meetings, or to obtain confirmation that local prevailing “living wages” are paid by all hotels the Church uses; and be it further

Resolved, That the 75th General Convention strongly urge the Church Center staff and especially the General Convention Planning Office to assure that dioceses that host events of The Episcopal Church comply with GC2003-A130 and provide a living wage for their employees; and be it further

Resolved, That we commend to the Church at all levels the services of Informed Meetings Exchange (http://www.inmex.org), a new non-profit agency committed to helping organizations make informed decisions regarding convention and meeting planning.

So while it remains a constitutional impossibility to “effect” the Windsor moratoria , when it comes to “living wages” General Convention suddenly has the authority and potency to “commit” the whole church “at all levels” to contract with union hotels or hotels.

Whatever you think about the issue of living wages, the inconsistency between the authority resolution D047 assumes and the powerlessness the parliamentarian claimed with regard to deputy Cantrell’s+ substitute motion, is glaring to say the least.

What a different Anglican World it might be this afternoon had GC2006 “committed the church at all levels to a moratorium on all same sex blessings and consecrations of non-celibate homosexuals.”?