Do you know the reason (well, one of them) why so many of us are so contemptuous of the “Anglican tradition” these days? As so many Anglicans have done for the last eleven years, Gloucester BishopMichael Perham riffed on The Issue the other day:
The weekend of the first such marriages I wanted to rejoice with those who were rejoicing, recognising what a wonderful moment it was for them, and to weep with those who wept, recognising how for them a deeply held belief about marriage was being undermined.
Mind if I edit that slightly?
The weekend of the woman’s marriage, I wanted to rejoice with those who were rejoicing with her, recognising what a wonderful moment it was for them and to weep with the husband and children she abandoned in order to marry the man with whom she was having an affair, recognising how for them a deeply held belief about marriage was being undermined.
What would be your opinion of an alleged Christian bishop who wrote something that idiotic? Mine too; an actual Christian church would have that “bishop” up on charges and remove him from an office that used to have a modicum of dignity attached to it before he’d finished typing those words.
But what does Mike think should happen now? It’s right about here where Mike all goes pedal-to-the-metal Anglican, suggesting a two-step approach. The first step is this.
My own view is that what is needed in the Church at present is gracious restraint. We need a cool and calm period in which to explore the issues. To those among clergy and ordinands contemplating entering a same-sex marriage I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who might make a complaint against a priest who, despite that, does enter such a marriage I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who contemplate leaving the Church of England because of its perceived position I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who condemn the Church of England from other parts of the Anglican Communion I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church of England reflects?” Gracious restraint to give us space.
Mike? You do know that the Current Unpleasantness has been going on for THE LAST ELEVEN YEARS, don’t you? Anyway, what’s the second part of Mike’s proposal? Shockingly, it involves yammering.
“The next steps for the Church of England are to have facilitated conversations at a national and diocesan level. This should involve profound reflection on the interpretation and application of Scripture. The outcomes that are hoped for, certainly what I will pray for are of two sorts.
“One sort is that we seek to listen together with sufficient commitment that we lift the issue out of its present situation where people of entrenched views fail to hear one another or respect one another’s integrity. We need to listen very carefully to the beliefs and opinions that come out of a profound change of attitudes in our society to gender, sexuality and marriage. We need to listen very carefully to the experience of gay and lesbian people, both those who are celibate and those who are in sexual relationships, including gay and lesbian clergy. We need to listen, in some cases, to their pain, and we need also to listen to their sense of joy, love and blessing in a faithful partnership. We need to listen very carefully to what the world and medicine and science can tell us about homosexuality. We need to listen very carefully to those who believe we are sitting light to the teaching of Jesus and the authority of the scriptures. We need to listen to one another and we need to listen to what the Spirit may be saying to the churches. And each and every one of us needs to participate in that listening with a humility that recognises that we have things to learn and may be some opinions to revise and that the Church’s teaching in this area of life may need to be expressed in a new language. I say “may”, for we must also allow for the possibility that what emerges, at the end of profound reflection, is a clear restatement of a traditional view.
Yeah. Sure it will, Mike. There was a time when crap like this used to anger me. Now I just find it funny.
In a depressing sort of way.
Here’s an idea, Mike. Take a stand; make an actual decision. I don’t care what it is. But for God’s sake, work up the courage to declare that this is what the Church of England now believes and teaches while wishing the best of luck to those who can’t accept it.
Stop pumping out this drivel, Mike, because nobody with a brain is even remotely buying it any more. Thinking people figured the Anglicans out a long time ago.
The weekend of the first such marriages I wanted to rejoice with those who were rejoicing, recognising what a wonderful moment it was for them, and to weep with those who wept, recognising how for them a deeply held belief about marriage was being undermined.
Mind if I edit that slightly?
The weekend of the woman’s marriage, I wanted to rejoice with those who were rejoicing with her, recognising what a wonderful moment it was for them and to weep with the husband and children she abandoned in order to marry the man with whom she was having an affair, recognising how for them a deeply held belief about marriage was being undermined.
What would be your opinion of an alleged Christian bishop who wrote something that idiotic? Mine too; an actual Christian church would have that “bishop” up on charges and remove him from an office that used to have a modicum of dignity attached to it before he’d finished typing those words.
But what does Mike think should happen now? It’s right about here where Mike all goes pedal-to-the-metal Anglican, suggesting a two-step approach. The first step is this.
My own view is that what is needed in the Church at present is gracious restraint. We need a cool and calm period in which to explore the issues. To those among clergy and ordinands contemplating entering a same-sex marriage I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who might make a complaint against a priest who, despite that, does enter such a marriage I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who contemplate leaving the Church of England because of its perceived position I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church reflects?” Gracious restraint. To those who condemn the Church of England from other parts of the Anglican Communion I would say, “Might you hold back while the Church of England reflects?” Gracious restraint to give us space.
Mike? You do know that the Current Unpleasantness has been going on for THE LAST ELEVEN YEARS, don’t you? Anyway, what’s the second part of Mike’s proposal? Shockingly, it involves yammering.
“The next steps for the Church of England are to have facilitated conversations at a national and diocesan level. This should involve profound reflection on the interpretation and application of Scripture. The outcomes that are hoped for, certainly what I will pray for are of two sorts.
“One sort is that we seek to listen together with sufficient commitment that we lift the issue out of its present situation where people of entrenched views fail to hear one another or respect one another’s integrity. We need to listen very carefully to the beliefs and opinions that come out of a profound change of attitudes in our society to gender, sexuality and marriage. We need to listen very carefully to the experience of gay and lesbian people, both those who are celibate and those who are in sexual relationships, including gay and lesbian clergy. We need to listen, in some cases, to their pain, and we need also to listen to their sense of joy, love and blessing in a faithful partnership. We need to listen very carefully to what the world and medicine and science can tell us about homosexuality. We need to listen very carefully to those who believe we are sitting light to the teaching of Jesus and the authority of the scriptures. We need to listen to one another and we need to listen to what the Spirit may be saying to the churches. And each and every one of us needs to participate in that listening with a humility that recognises that we have things to learn and may be some opinions to revise and that the Church’s teaching in this area of life may need to be expressed in a new language. I say “may”, for we must also allow for the possibility that what emerges, at the end of profound reflection, is a clear restatement of a traditional view.
Yeah. Sure it will, Mike. There was a time when crap like this used to anger me. Now I just find it funny.
In a depressing sort of way.
Here’s an idea, Mike. Take a stand; make an actual decision. I don’t care what it is. But for God’s sake, work up the courage to declare that this is what the Church of England now believes and teaches while wishing the best of luck to those who can’t accept it.
Stop pumping out this drivel, Mike, because nobody with a brain is even remotely buying it any more. Thinking people figured the Anglicans out a long time ago.
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