The Episcopal Church USA has long prided itself as hosting the venue for state occasions at its so-called National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
The National Cathedral is a large building in the gothic style which was built over the course of decades with much fund-raising done by that denomination nation-wide.
Begun in 1907, the Cathedral is actually dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, but is colloquially known by its location on St. Albans Hill and takes that saint as a patron.
Theodore Roosevelt laid the foundation, and the structure was finally finished in 1990 with George H. W. Bush overseeing the final capping off. The original plan for Washington City included a provision for a national house of worship, and for state occasions, which distinction has been claimed by the Episcopal Church, USA. Presidential funerals or memorial services, including those of Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Regan have been held at the Cathedral.
In 1953, two stained glass windows, in the traditional, familiar and comforting gothic style, were donated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to the Episcopal Church and its “National” structure. They were dedicated to the Christian values, example and in memory of Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Lee was himself an Episcopalian and Jackson was a Presbyterian. Each of them has long been held up as a role model of Christian virtues to be emulated by all Americans, not just by their own denominations, or in The South. In fact, these windows represent the mutual honor, respect and reconciliation which the entire country once enjoyed. The fashionable contemporary denunciations of these men are an egregious example of the vilification of once-revered historical figures which is a prominent feature of Woke culture. This has led to the widespread iconoclasm represented by removal of flags, statues, and cenotaphs we are experiencing today. The value at the time these windows were donated and installed was about $50,000. The value of these windows today would be considerably more than one million dollars. Looking these gift horses in the mouth is widely considered un-Christian vandalism as well as uncharitable, unforgiving, and unbiblical.
In 2015 the Episcopal Church began the foregone conclusion of its transformation into a flagship of cultural Wokeness through its treatment of these icons. The beautiful stained glass was replaced by objectively, indeed intentionally, incongruous and ugly ultra-modern windows dedicated to protest and negativity. These windows are completely out of character with the rest of the building. They are a blemish on the beautiful fabric which seems so deliberately insulting and provocative as to be blasphemous.
If new windows had been required, why not a depiction of the martyr Martin Luther King, Jr., with his message of peaceful protest challenging conscience, rather than a depiction of violence in a spirit of revenge and resentment? It is just as well that the so-called artist did not charge for his work, and it has no redeeming artistic value by any reasonable standard.
It is an outrage that the next national occasion, the state funeral for President Carter, the Southerner who actually signed the 1978 Congressional Act which returned President Davis to full citizenship, will be held in such a disgraced and degraded location. It is noteworthy that Robert E. Lee’s citizenship was restored by Act of Congress in 1975, signed by Carter’s predecessor Gerald Ford. Both these acts and their corresponding presidential signings were considered serious acts of restoration of honor and reconciliation by contemporaries.
Do the Episcopalians have no shame? Apparently not. Have they no regard for history, honor and symbolic reconciliation? No regard for architectural and artistic integrity? Apparently not. It is to be hoped that this opportunity will be taken by many citizens, not just Episcopalians, to raise consciousness and awareness to protest the perfidy of the Episcopal Church. All this passed without real scrutiny by the church or the nation other than the drive by the self-serving, self-described enlightened local ecclesiastical authorities to incorporate Communistic Cancel Culture and inject even more Virtue Signaling Wokeness into the denomination corrupted by ephemeral fashionable and politically correct secularism. Episcopalians were not truly consulted on the national level, much less was the general public. And, of course, the original donors, the ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, were not consulted, nor given an opportunity to receive the windows, or even help direct their re-location The windows have been subjected to the typical Communist/Maoist public degradation and criticism session by having been displayed at the public stocks- the National Museum of African American History on the Mall, inviting public ridicule and derision. Currently, they are in storage, as so many Confederate memorials are, including the National Reconciliation Memorial from Arlington National Cemetery. The Arlington memorial has a chance of restoration due to the ongoing lawsuit now on appeal (See: www.DefendArlington.org), and the election of President Donald Trump (who will be attending President Carter’s Funeral service, and may have a chance to view the abomination windows in person), which may combine to force a return. Unfortunately, The National Cathedral and its Woke custodians are likely to be unmoved by any swing of public opinion.
It is Biblical that we should honor our fathers and mothers, and specifically are enjoined not to remove the monuments of our fathers. See Proverbs 22:28 and 23:10. Because of this attitude of Woke genuflection and scornful treatment of both the donor and the gift, many Episcopalians have left the denomination or have reduced their support even for their local parish. That the disgrace of the National Cathedral should be put on show for the whole country to gaze on and jeer at has been inevitable since the windows were traded out from the respect for the Christianity of Lee and Jackson for the secular scorn of the Anti-American, Anti-Christian Confederophobic protest movement.
Shame on the Episcopal Church’s National Cathedral – holding Pres. Carter’s funeral at the National Cathedral is a slap in the face to a Southern Christian after replacing Lee and Jackson Windows.
I was raised in the “high” Episcopal Church. I was lucky in that, the leaders were rock solid believers in Christ. They imparted in me the understanding that Jesus was not a socialist/fascist/communist in any way without stating it as such. My understanding of this was in part why I volunteered to fight in Vietnam. If you believe in Christ then one must do their part to resist evil. By the early 70’s it was clear to me that the Episcopal Church, both high and low wings, was sliding leftward under the influence of the WCC. The ‘Social Justice’ narrative was/is just another instance of the left using words like slick lawyers to fool the unaware, like the left fooled so many anti-war protestors in the 60’s with all their propaganda about we were the bad guys in Vietnam. Despite all the corruption and wrong things we did, ultimately we were not the bad guys, the commies were worse.
I left the church and haven’t been back. Now 50+ years later it has turned into what is even worse than I could have imagined. Even the Roman Catholic Church, long a stalwart anti-communist organization that knew and taught that communism was Satanic, has a communist Pope. Head slap!! This all reminds me of the old joke: “Are there Episcopalians in foxholes?”
Re: our monuments and symbols. All the hate has spawned a rejuvenation of private expressions of truth and pride. Here are a few groups that are on facebook, of all places –
The Virginia Flaggers
Rebel Yell
Monuments Across Dixie
Confederate Heroes Day
Dixie Forever
Every year Lee-Jackson Day is celebrated in Lexington, VA with a parade of folks in uniform and more Confederate flags than you can count.
They, lefties, wokesters, commies and Yanks have awakened a sleeping giant.
Here’s an example of the private resurgence of our monuments and symbols.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMtd7bRfZHA
I was in attendance. I will be with my SCV camp for Lee-Jackson Day the morning of the18th in Lexington and back at Lee-Jackson Monument Park in the afternoon for brick laying ceremonies.
Looking forward to saluting Old Jack, taking counsel from Marse Robert – and maybe slipping Traveller a few sugar cubes – once again.
God’ speed, Gordon, and thank you and all your members for what you are doing!!
The Church (not in Washington alone) has been attacked in the traditional subtle way of the demonic attack. The Church always has a slithering snake at its heel. It just so-happens that Washington is overly populated with snakes!
The fornicating, plagiarizing, commie atheist mlk is the last person we need on stained glass.
He definitely will stain it.