War is the ultimate definition of human failure!

Faith is not lost during war but rather what is lost is faith in human nature, reason, compassion, decision making, justice, and the rule of law.

If we possesses faith in God through whatever our diverse religious traditions might be we are constantly reminded to rise to a higher level of being where we are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

War calls people of faith to address their failure as a Holy creation and to repent or "turn around" behavior that demeans the very nature of creation. In the 21st Century, no one has the right to take another person's life in the name of God!

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The United States is not a theocracy, and never has been! Some would have us believe that “One Nation under God” really means that we are a nation whose God is Christian and therefore we are a Christian nation. This is the hidden agenda underlying this complaint. To be sure, the vision of the early founders of this Nation was based on their understanding of Providence as defined by Christianity. Their vision however was severely limited in that they were not clear at all about the theological concepts and complexities of monotheism. They did not have the prolonged access of their Christianity to the balances of the occidental and oriental influences of Islam and other religions and belief systems. And their exposure to Judaism was warped by European anti-Semitism and xenophobia.

What some may believe, that a Hindu chaplain opening a session of the United States Senate with prayer has somehow violated the notion of “One Nation under God,” is absurd. It points to those who hold a view that fails to understand the theological complexities and make-up of the current religious population of the United States. It is a point of view that is theologically intolerant, xenophobic, religiously narrow, and dangerous. It borders on the heresy of an American theocracy that could lead to a totalitarian view of acceptable religious expression. It is a failure to understand that there are more than just one set of religious constructs and beliefs that can provide pathways to enlightenment for some and for others a personal relationship with a living God.

The concept of "don't ask don't tell," has been a painful failure for the U.S. military and has no place in the Episcopal Church.

One's sexual orientation in the Episcopal Church may not be used as a prohibition against ordination and same-sex relationships may not be used as a qualifier for ordination to either the priesthood or deaconate.

The issue of human sexuality should be based on loving, healthy relationships and not on sexual mechanics or in inappropriate proof-texting of Holy Scripture.

Celibacy is a gift from God and should not be used as a requirement for one's response to God's call to serve in the ordained or lay ministries of the Episcopal Church.

It is a sad state of affairs when the religious community spends so much time on this issue when the deterioration of the human condition continues to plague God's children throughout the world.

We spend too much time confessing the so-called sexual sins of others instead of addressing with vigor and human resources that are needed to address the sins of omission that demean the lives of so many throughout the Global Community as defined by the Millenium Development Goals.

The question raises the very essence of the nature of God.

The belief that God is the causal agent in natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the religious fanaticism of 9/11 and acts as a grand puppeteer is just plain bad theology. It is a severely flawed theology which lends itself to the belief that human beings are mere actors on the stage of life, with God sharing the roles of both producer and director.

Katrina was a natural disaster and not a punishing act of God. 9/11 was the act of a few people who chose to interpret their flawed theology by acts of violence which were clearly a contradiction of the teachings of the Great Prophet.

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