Onward Christian Soldiers

Recently yet another Anglican church here in California split with the local diocese because it wasn't significantly homophobic. These churches usually then ask to be placed under a diocese that they believe to be more pure in their gay-hating, which usually means dredging up a diocese in Africa.

One of the heros of this "Conservative alignment" in Anglicism is Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola, who has a long and active history of anti-gay activism in the church. He even signed something called a "Covenant of Concordat" with the split-off Reformed Episcopal Church. He has used Anglican meetings as stages for his unhinged activism against what he sees as the "spiritual desert" that has become the church in Europe and America.

But apparently, it's not only queers he wants to bash. In response to recent unrest amongst Nigerian Muslims in his country, supposedly incited by the silly Danish cartoon controversy, he's decided to do the Christian thing and turn the other cheek. Or maybe not:

The Christian retaliation came after a widely publicised statement by the powerful Anglican primate, Peter Akinola, who warned that community leaders may not be able to contain "restive youth".

"May we at this stage remind our Muslim brothers that they do not have the monopoly on violence in this nation," he said.

How many more examples do we need that conservative religion is about three things, power, power, and power?