Did he really just do his own echo effect? Oh. My. God.

Duh!

;-)

If Matt Stone and Trey Parker had done this on South Park, everyone would be laughing right along.

Let's worry about the ACTUAL WAR, not some Marine in a performance obviously meant only for his fellow soldiers. God only knows what I'd be laughing about under the same unmercifully stressful circumstances.

seriously.

the link to wonkette is missing an e on the end.

With all due respect to SR, Rowan Williams does not speak for the American Episcopalians, he is not our pope. For that matter, neither does he speak for all the English bishops, priests, or congregants in the United Kingdom. The Anglican communion doesn't work that way, thank God. In any case, a quick perusal of Williams' own writings might give you a better grasp of what his opinions are on the moral, social, and political issues of today:

http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/index2a.html

As a church we celebrate intellectual freedom and honor our internal disagreements and struggles across continents, countries, and cultures and even in our own churches. I see bumper stickers of all persuasions in my church parking lot on Sunday morning, and I enbrace that diversity of opinions and backgrounds. Without a close connection to diverse opinions I am insulated in my own beliefs, which only enhances my sense of self-righteousness and inclination to judge others. Self-righteousness is a sure path to conflict, and I would much rather move in the direction of peace.

As for our new presiding bishop, she represents so much more than her gender or same-sex marriages. Many of us celebrate that we now have a female presiding bishop, just as many celebrated the first women bishops who were ordained in Philadelphia in the 70s (amid bitter protest and much talk of a rift). But she is more than this. She has a deep commitment to the environment. She is concerned about diversifying the church. She wants to focus on global peace and on the welfare of children.

There are now and will continue to be openly gay priests and bishops, and (for the near future, at least) closeted priests and bishops in the Episcopal church. There will be parts of the country where same sex unions are blessed by priests under the roofs of their churches, and other regions where these ceremonies are held off church grounds, and still other dioceses where unions will be held in secret or not at all. The church is changing and evolving, and change can be painful, but ultimately rewarding. Women bishops are taken for granted in the church today, some 30 years after their initial entry. Women priests are a mere fact of life. Many believe that 30 years from now, same-sex unions and openly gay clergy and bishops will be just as uncontroversial.

In the midst of all of this, Anglicans everywhere, including in the US, will continue to work for social justice, to provide outreach and support for those in our communities who are sick, poor, incarcerated, and suffering. We will work for peace in our cities and in our world. We will strive to be good stewards of this earth. We will continue to open our doors to all who wish to enter, and to worship together.

During her invocation sermon, Jefferts Schori said:

"Whenever two children make peace on the playground, the saints can rejoice. Whenever two or three fish-slaves are set free, shalom abounds. The hope of the saints is without bounds, for it insists that shalom is possible in this life, and not only at the end of all things."

There's nothing sketchy about that language. That is the language of peace and social justice, and it comes from the new leader of a church which, for the most part, yearns to stay unified and be strengthened together in order to share our love, strength, and courage with our neighbors and help to make this world a better place for all.

Knowing what I do about corporate culture in America these days (and trust me, I wish I didn't know ANY of it), this comes across as frighteningly authentic. Especially, as the above letter-writer notes, in the name-dropping section. Look at him smile after the first name he mentions (Bruce Hammonds), and what sounds like a quiet snicker of recognition from the audience. I think it's the real deal. Bruce Hammonds and Liam McGee also come up on a Google search as being BofA execs.