Gay Bishop in Anglican Church

There's a big piece by Garret Keizer in Harper's Magazine in June called "Turning away from Jesus: Gay rights and the War for the Episcopal Church" discussing the continuing rift from the appointment of an openly gay bishop in 2003.

This is a complicated issue for the Episcopalians, but a simple one for the rest of us. How is it possible that we don't know the answer? If we believe that God has given us clear guidance in the Bible how can it be that two thousand years after Jesus we still haven't worked out if God hates gays or not?

The problem, as always with religion, is one of evidence. In the evidence vacuum of religion unsupported opinion not only thrives, it is obligatory and celebrated. So the voices get louder, the opinions more strident, the battle bloodier. And as the war rages there is no small still voice in these people's hearts to tell them "we don't know the answer, because it's all made up." It's a shame that so much time and effort is wasted arguing over whose made up version is the right one. There must be a better way to direct all these resources - like maybe helping poor people and curing the sick. You know, that Christian stuff...