The Episcopal Church Considers Motion on Polyamory (Updated)
A Mainline American Church Considers a Motion on Affirming Polyamrous Relationships Among its Clergy and Laity
Polyamory is wrong!
Why? Because it combines a Greek prefix with a Latin suffix.
It should be polyphilia (Greek) or multi-amory (Latin).
You can’t put Greek and Latin syllables together, stick them in a 1970s lounge with some Barry Manilow playing, and watch them have group sex! Who wants to cuddle up with a guy called Georgio Berlusconipopodoplous and his girlfriend Stephani Metaxacelli? I say, keep your Greek and Latin separated by the Adriatic Sea!
Forgive the humour, but The Episcopal Chuch (TEC), that house party of progressive boomers, has now reached the point where they are considering polyamorous relationships even among their clergy.
A resolution for TEC’s general convention was that:
That the 81st General Convention urge Bishops, Standing Committees, and disciplinary authorities to exercise pastoral compassion and discretion during the 2024-2027 triennium with those clergy and laity who disclose the diverse ways in which they are forming family and household structures that seek to be holy, faithful and lifegiving, pending a review by the Task Force to Study Household and Relationship Diversity of the application of Canons I.17.5, and III.1.2 across the Episcopal Church with respect to marital status and family status.
UPDATE: I got several earnest messages informing me that my facts were out of date. The motion went to TEC’s legislative committee where it was rejected, it did not reach the house of deputies or bishops for a formal vote. If I had known that, I would certainly have said so, but none of the research I found gave me the result of the legislative committee. Also, I should add, that many episcopalians have criticized the motion and affirmed monogamous relationships as the norm. So TEC is not going to affirm polyamorous relationships any time in the immediate future!
Be that as it may, the fact that this was even proposed and entertained by a committee does show where TEC sits on a theological spectrum. I understand the idea of being “a broad church,” but there is also the problem of being so deep into the sexual revolution that you become theologically disconnected from the Christian tradition.
Let the record show, I said two years ago, that polyamory was going to be the new big thing! Back in 2023, I wrote:
Which means, you can bet that The Episcopal Church will definitely design a liturgy for polyamorous marriages someday soon and the Church of England will debate the motion for 25 years before the House of Commons orders them to host polyamorous marriages in English churches (Yes, I’m cynical!).
I’m not saying I’m a prophet, but the things I said were gonna happen, just started happening!
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