Thinking Alike?

I was reading Thinking Anglicans Nineteen Anglican bishops meet in Dar Es Salaam when I decided to look at the last time a bunch or primates meet in Dar Es Salaam (2007) and compare the results. Of course the results are radically different but what struck me is something that has probably already been discussed because it struck many others a long time ago.   somewhere along the continuum that is fondly referred to as the Anglican Communion, someone decided we must all "think alike".  The "dispute" that has arisen is one in which apparently no one province can think differently than the "group", the group being the Anglican Communion.  In recent years the policy that has evolved is no one can think any differently than the Global South, also known as the Conelonialists.  The primates from that neck of the woods have fallen back on the "appeal to authority" also known as "the faith once delivered" and "solo scriptura" to cut off any and all discussion.  This group has turned into a gang of thugs either punishing or wanting to punish anyone who thinks or acts differently than they do.  They develop Windsor reports, they develop covenants (also known as covenants not to compete) and they punish primates that do  not toe the line by no taking communion with them, by meeting in separate rooms, by ignoring you to your face and other middle school antics designed to make them feel better. 

The upshot of all of this is "group think".  We must all think and act alike.  There appears to be no room for thinking and exploring and just plain wondering let alone acting on clearly defined requirements from Jesus.

I write this for the following reason.  When I was working in another world/lifetime I had a discussion with one of my bosses.  It seemed we were not on the same page and we were not on the same page in public, usually not a good thing, but I felt pretty strongly about my position.  After the public debate I was talking with this person and I apologized for the clearly different stance.  He said to me, "If we both always thought alike then one of us would not be necessary."  I took that to heart and it has become one of my guiding principles.  It is how we grow and mature.  While this person is not God (I have never made that mistake) I believe the nugget there is that God's greatest gift to us is the ability to think and reason.  That is how we mature and grow in our faith.  So I add to the conelonialists,  "If we both always thought alike then one of us would not be necessary."