Canadian Anglicans defer on gay marriages, but say gay sex is sacred
The most-reported news coming out of the General Synod of Canada's Anglican Church is that a vote on gay marriages was postponed until 2007, asking a theological commission to review the matter and report back in two years.

But yesterday's news out of the synod means that the theological commission is absolutely pointless. By a show of hands, the church voted to "affirm the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same-sex relationships."

An e-mailed statement on the blog of Kendall Harmon, Canon Theologian for the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, notes two problems:

First, the amendment does not define what a "committed" adult same-sex relationship is, nor does it define the number of partners involved; second, it declares these relationships not only to have integrity but also to possess sanctity; that is, to have the same character (holiness) as Christian marriage. This is a theological declaration that would seem to pre-empt any theological consultation on the nature of same-sex blessings.

Adds Harmon, "Yes, quite so. Where is the logic in not blessing these relationships if they are deemed to have 'sanctity'?"

Nine bishops in Canada's Anglican Church agree, saying yesterday's vote "appears to have pre-empted" the theological commission's work. They also complained that the vote directly countermands requests from the worldwide leaders of the Anglican Communion not to take action on homosexual relationships until a global commission—founded in the wake of the American gay bishop's appointment—issues its report later this year.

Expect many of those global Anglican leaders to be upset with this turn of events in Canada. Weblog is unable to monitor ...