Dr. Deborah Pitt, an evangelical from Penarth, Wales (around the corner from where I used to live in another era) had the effrontery to publish some letters to her from Rowan Williams when he was archbishop of Wales. The Friends of the ABC – most notably, Tom Wright leapt valiantly to Rowan’s defense. Rowan’s letters include statements like this: “I concluded that an active sexual relationship between two people of the same sex might therefore reflect the love of God in a way comparable to marriage, if and only if it had about it the same character of absolute covenanted faithfulness.”
Now I know Rowan doesn’t write or speak English the way a mere mortal would, but that seems pretty clear to me. Tom Wright and co. focus on the word “might” with a tenacity worthy of Bill Clinton’s obsession with the word “is”. Also, much is made of the absurd proposition that there is a difference between ‘thinking aloud’ as a theologian and the task of a bishop (let alone an Archbishop) to uphold the church’s teaching, as if the task of a bishop to uphold the church’s teaching is unaffected by what he is thinking. Which brings us to George Pitcher, who writes about Deborah Pitt’s attempt to explain herself:
A sad and dispiriting little letter in The Times today, from the woman who “leaked” 8-year-old letters from Dr Rowan Williams that “revealed” he was personally sympathetic to same-sex unions that were faithful and permanent.
He then mocks her grammar – something I would never do – and continues:
About the only thing clear here is that the Bishop of Durham’s letter, co-signed by 18 other Anglican bishops from across the ecclesiological spectrum, was articulate. It certainly put Ms Pitt in her place. Her letter, by contrast, is neither articulate nor clear.
Poor Ms. Pitt – actually, that’s Dr. Pitt to you George – already knows her place: it’s in Penarth being a medical doctor; not, unlike some, having interminable conversations with other doctors on what it really means to be a doctor.
George Pitcher’s article is at the Telegraph
Deborah Pitt’s response the the ABC is at SF. She seems to be a gracious lady.
Thank you, David. I have only just found out about George Pitcher’s article and to my frustration cannot bring it up on my computer in its entirety. (Hmmm, is that more bad grammar? Just as well I don’t have to hand-write all this.)Perhaps I should send Mr. Pitcher a copy of the longer and much more forceful letter that I sent to Bishop Wright and his cosignatories. Meanwhile I will keep looking.
Hi Deborah,
Try this link to the Telegraph article:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/george_pitcher/blog/2008/08/15/pray_n_tell_woman_seeks_to_justify_herself
or maybe a copy and paste into your browser if that doesn’t work.
Thank you for making public the letters in the first place. And your grammar is perfect (how could it be otherwise, living in Wales 🙂 )
Any chance of seeing your letter to Tom Wright?
Hi, David. Thank you for the reply and the access information. By shuffling the mouse around I did eventually get ahold of George’s article and I was most touched by the responses of the gallant gentlemen Ian and Damian Thompson(THE Damian Thompson?)who responded so robustly to George P. and supported me. How nice! I shall send Mr. Pitcher a reply to his response to my poor dissected letter, which no doubt withered up under his critical gaze. Hmm. Perhaps I should also send him a copy of the six and a half page letter that was my response to Dr. Williams’ first letter…. (I’ll give him,’Little letter’.) He can chomp on that over his cocoa!
I have had mixed experiences and even more mixed feelings over having submitted the letters for possible publication. Your appreciation is therefore very welcome. I hope it’s not to late to respond to Ian and Damian T. I think the latter is the editor now of the Catholic Herald?
One of the most controversial aspects of the responses to the letters is the claim that people knew all this stuff anyway, yet there has been so much varied and eloquent correspondence that would refute it.
Do you live in Wales, too?
I think I would be happy to send you a copy of my letter to Dr. Wright and the Bishops,but it would be nice to know a bit about you first.
Sincerely in Christ
Debbie Pitt
Deborah,
I’m quite sure that your releasing the letters was the right thing to do; the eloquence of the naysayers is frequently used to confuse the truth rather than reveal it, I fear.
I am sure that Ian and Damian will be absolutely delighted to hear from you.
I grew up in Cardiff and left for Canada in 1974. We visited Penarth quite often when I was young, either by train or bicycle. The last time I was in Wales was 1996. Time for another visit!
I will email you and tell you about myself and then you can decide whether to send your letter to Tom Wright.