NOTES,  1 MARCH 2023

Greetings, blog reader. It is Wednesday, the First of March, 2023. It is a new month and signs of spring are all around us who live in the deep south. I would send garden pictures but my garden is suffering from the effects of a hard winter. The severe cold snap last December killed or damaged many of the more cold sensitive plants. It will be a while for the survivors to recuperate. Nevertheless, many other plants are coming back to life and putting out their lovely colors. I intend to enjoy this new springtime.

I have no news of the schism to report today. We are still waiting on the SC Supreme Court to respond to the three requests before it. It has been five months since we heard a word from the high court in Columbia.

In the Anglican world, the homophobe/misogynist coalition has been in nuclear meltdown since the Church of England voted last month to approve of in-church blessings of persons in same-sex relationships (some people are saying the Church is not blessing the unions but blessing the people involved in them--a distinction without a difference). One has only to scan the anglican.ink website to see the numerous doomsday protests from around the world. One was truly appalling. It came from none other than Vladimir Putin. He ridiculed the C of E. This is Putin, arguably the most immoral political leader on the world stage today. Why would anyone pay any attention to what he would have to say on the judgments of other people?

Also in the chutzpah line up is Foley Beach. He is not even in the Anglican Communion. He shot off a letter under his name alone to declare that the Archbishop of Canterbury was no longer recognized as head of the Anglican Communion. Then there was the Archbishop of Uganda raining down criticism even though Uganda has one of the harshest set of laws in Africa persecuting homosexual citizens, including life in prison. 

Then, the Global South coalition issued a letter virtually declaring a schism in the Anglican Communion. It was signed by 10 of the 25 primates affiliated with the GS. Where were the other 15? This raises the issue of the strength of the schism movement pushed by GS and GAFCON. Last year, the socially reactionary movement at the Lambeth Conference gained only 125 signatures of the 600+ bishops in attendance. There are signs that the move to break up the Anglican Communion along social policy lines is not as strong as its proponents claim. 

Next month, GAFCON is holding a world conference at Kigali. Rwanda, from April 17 to 21. There is no doubt what the main topic of discussion will be. 

This month, the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina will hold its eleventh annual meeting, at Bluffton, March 10-11. They will have plenty of reason to rejoice. Since their last meeting, March 2022, they have made huge gains in the war of the schism. First, the SCSC awarded the ADSC 15 of the 29 parishes it had earlier recognized for the Episcopal diocese. Then the SCSC turned around and presented another 7 of the 29 to ADSC. By August of 2022, the EDSC was left with just 8 of the 29 the SCSC had awarded to EDSC on Aug. 2, 2017. One of these 8 the EDSC subsequently sold to the local schismatic congregation leaving EDSC with a net gain of 7 of the original 29. On top of this, the EDSC disposed of 4 other properties to the ADSC. In addition, apparently in the "final settlement" announced between the two dioceses last year, the EDSC has dropped claim to the dozen or so local church that did not enter the lawsuit and stayed with the separatist diocese. All in all, the ADSC had its best year ever since the division of 2012. They have every reason to party away in Bluffton. One has to hand it to them; they snatched a sort of victory from the jaws of defeat.

Changing gears to another story coming from South Carolina, did he do it? Did Alex Murdaugh murder his son and wife? This is the issue in the trial underway. The whole world seems to be watching this grizzly southern gothic story. 

I have watched only bits of the trial and certainly do not understand all the complicated, even bizarre, twists and turns. However, from what I have seen, it seems to me the circumstantial evidence is strong for conviction. The cell phone video showing him present at the crime scene just minutes before the murders is compelling. Moreover, I have seen no evidence at all of the presence of another person or persons who could have committed the killings.

However, I am not sure that the prosecution has proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt. All the defense need is to sway one of the twelve jurors to get Murdaugh off the hook. It was reported that a couple of the jurors were weeping during his testimony on the stand last week. 

In my opinion, the weakest point in the prosecution's presentation was failure to establish a plausible motive for the crime, not that they have to do this. Still, motive would go a long way to moving the jury. Why would the defendant murder, in cold blood, his son and wife? I, for one, am left baffled. I would imagine the jury is thinking the same. 

Watching some of the trial did make me a bit sad thinking about the schism. The judge presiding in Walterboro, Clifton Newman, has done an excellent job of being fair, reasonable, and thorough. He is closing off any grounds of appeal from shortcomings of the court. If only the church litigation had had such a judge the outcome could have been different. Instead, the plaintiffs (ADSC) chose the court in Dorchester County that turned out to rule so over the top on their side that the SC Supreme Court ridiculed the lower court. Then, another judge in the same circuit discarded the SC decision and replaced it with a new one which was actually a return to the first court ruling. What a mess. But that was not all. The SCSC went on to reverse itself, and not once but twice. So, to be charitable, the state courts in SC leave something to be desired. Thank God for Judge Newman for restoring a bit of faith in the SC courts. Peace.