This comment is a bit of a sidetrack, but I've been thinking about the subject of Christian 'loyalty" lately with respect to the worldwide Anglican communion.

You may be aware of that at last summer's Lambeth conference the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby reaffirmed very strongly that gay people sin when we have sex. Quite recently, he came out hard against same-sex marriage, approving a second-class and stigmatizing blessing ceremony instead.

To add insult to his homophobic injury, he indicated he will not personally conduct such blessing ceremonies.

He indicated that he will not do so out of loyalty to others in the communion (primarily in the global South) who believe even the blessing ceremonies are theologically wrong and anti-Christian.

The whole debacle with the homophobia of the Church of England and the Anglican communion is rooted in "loyalty" issues. Welby has made perfectly plain that he values institutional interests and institutional loyalty over the teachings of Jesus, over freedom of personal conscience, and over basic human decency.

Anglican leaders in the UK seem to share much in common with Evangelical Christians in the United States in that respect. Rather than focusing on worship and Jesus, they are consumed with institutional interests and secular politics.

Should Christians be loyal to anyone? Or is that a corruption of the most basic Christian teachings?