Competent Authority

Comes word last Thursday, the Rt. Rev'd Gene Robinson, the Bishop of New Hampshire, endorsed Barack Obama's bid for the presidency. The reaction has been muted so far, probably because few members of the media have picked up the story. No doubt many of my conservative colleagues will make much hay over this, accusing the media of a double standard by not jumping all over Obama for receiving an endorsement from a religious organization, comparing it with the media's hysterical shrieks three years ago when Jerry Falwell endorsed George Bush.

Not at all, not at all, I say. The media, by ignoring the endorsement of a political candidate by a representative of the Episcopal Church are simply recognizing what many of us have believed for years: the Episcopal Church is not a religious organization. And just as the judge in "Miracle on 34th Street" was, to his relief, able to rule Kris Kringle the real Santa Claus owing to a "competent authority," the U.S.Post Office, recognizing he was, I am, to my relief, able to dismiss any lingering notions the Episcopal Church is a religious organization, owing to competent authorities like the New York Times tacitly recognizing it is not.

(h/t Creative Minority Report)