I was not surprised that Bishop John Spong, while at Lambeth, laid some good ol' American cultural racism on the African bishops. But I was more than a little shocked to hear two liberal clerics of this diocese second his statements.

It seems that the left wing of the church does not think that the Third World bishops, especially the Africans, have been out of the jungle long enough to be fully informed, to understand and to respond in Christ's love to the issues of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Worse than this lack of understanding, they seem not to have the sense to fall in line with the superior knowledge, understanding and leadership being offered by the wealthy, privileged white liberal Americans.

And, as one of them said, "They (Africans) condemn what they do not understand"; so it would appear that we, in this small branch of the church, need not consider for a moment that maybe God the Holy Spirit was speaking through the bishops gathered.

The solution then is to go our own way. If you please, this train of thought coming from those who only a year ago passed the "kick 'em out canon" declaring that one need only believe in the ordination of women (which I do) to be a member in good standing. Believe what you will about the creeds and scripture! Now what?

The church's liberal wing is working toward a clear cultural racism and wanting to distance the American Church from the rich diversity of the wider Anglican Communion, while at home wanting to rule the rest of us by "canon law."

(The Rev.) Robert Keirsey

San Diego, Calif.