Elect First, Think Later

Speaking at Trinity Episcopal Church in Boston, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson discusses being lectured by the Archbishop of Canterbury about preparatory steps the Episcopal Church should've taken to prepare the church and the world for the election of an openly gay bishop. Bishop Gene demurred:

I said, "You know, in 1974 the 11 women who were irregularly ordained in Philadelphia, they weren't following the rules, they were breaking the rules. But it turned out to be the right thing, and two years later we began regularly ordaining women in this church." And I said, "Had they not done that, how long do you think it would have taken this church to get around to it? Would we still have an all-male priesthood?" It seems to me that, by God's grace, we sometimes do the right thing and then think our way to it.