Blaming Akinola

[from the GetReligion blog]

Larry Stammer’s report in Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times could leave readers with the impression that if reconciliation fails in the Anglican Communion, it is largely the fault of Archbishop Peter J. Akinola of the Church of Nigeria.

Despite Akinola’s angry response, he should not be blamed for any failure of the report–after all, it is righteous anger, I don’t think anyone could disagree that the report was even handed for conservatives and liberals, whatever their outlook, they’d have to admit the report was more critical of boundary crossing than of the events that precipitated such crossing. If any single person ought to be blamed–and I don’t believe a singler person really ought to be–then it is Frank “Im OK you’re OK” Griswold and his patronizing sentiment of “regret” released only shortly after the Windsor report itself. The only thing Akinola can be faulted for is poor media relations and providing the liberals with something to take the attention off of theit own responses which, while much worse than Akinola’s, are couched in the ambiguous language of our political system. Honest and passionate disagreement looks like overt aggression in this system, while simpering and disingenuity look possitive.