I Was Wrong.

This post originally commented on a post at StandFirm, calling attention to an image here (scroll down near the end) of someone - dressed in clerical garb, with a collar and purple shirt - at an "anti-war" rally in San Francisco. The person in the image is wearing a clerical stole in the "chain-link fence" scarf pattern identified with Palestinian terrorist groups like Fatah and Hamas, with Palestinian national colors as accent. And the person looks remarkably like retired Massachusetts Bishop Barbara Harris, someone who has been critical of Israel in the past and supportive of the Palestinian cause. A number of people at StandFirm agreed with the identity, and I made my comments from that.

I. Was. Wrong.

Bishop Harris says that she was not in San Francisco at the time, and that the person in the image is not her. I have no reason to doubt Bishop Harris. I apologize to her for linking to that information on this site, and I ask for her forgiveness. While we are worlds apart (!) on many things theological, I will not criticize her for something she did not do. The truth is more important than making a point.

I also ask those at StandFirm who jumped to the same conclusion to do the same.

UPDATE: And I make my apology even though this is, according to Sarah Dylan Breuer, what Bishop Harris has to say about the incident:

"But that’s the way it goes in this wonderful racist country of ours and this lovely hate-filled church we know and love.

While I do have a concern for Palestinian people, I also have a deep concern for so called “orthodox Anglicans” who think they have cornered the market on revealed truth and righteousness. (They remind me of Fred Phelps and his squad). It must be a heavy burden to be so freakin’ right all of the time."

Thank you, Bishop, for your loving display of Christian forgiveness. Seems a lot of people "think they have cornered the market on revealed truth and righteousness"....... (the whole thing is in the Standfirm thread here. Scroll down.)