The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, Bishop of Maryland, writes in a pastoral letter about three measures on the Nov. 6 ballot:
Gambling
What will be the effect of more gambling on our poor and desperate brothers and sisters seeking to solve their financial problems by “hitting the jackpot”? And do we really want our children’s educations to be funded by means that we know will cause so much hardship to so many families? The debatable good ends will not justify the costly means if this initiative is passed. Thus I will be voicing my opposition to this ballot initiative, citing our Convention Resolution in 2008.
Maryland Dream Act
Jesus reminds us what the Torah tells our Jewish sisters and brothers, that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus identifies our “neighbor” as those who are unloved, scorned and unwelcome. What would Jesus say to us about the children in our midst — especially those innocently brought here not of their own doing? Well, what did he do in the New Testament? He held a little child in his arms, and said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” (Mark 9:37)
Same-sex marriage
I know that the whole church around the world will continue to struggle with this issue for years to come, just as it has with all the great moral issues of the last 2,000 years. However, please note that our last Diocesan Convention voted to support the marriage equality law you are now being asked to vote upon, and I see no reason why we who follow Jesus should deny same-sex couples the blessing of God when they enter into faithful, monogamous, lifelong covenant relationships.
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
