Since many Church of England parishes are collapsing anyway, perhaps it’s the presence of gay clergy that is hastening their demise.
If the seemingly extravagant “1,500 gay, bi or trans clergy” number mentioned in this article is accurate, it means that Anglicanism in the UK is following in the footsteps of its North American cousin – wilfully flushing itself down the toilet of gender bending irrelevance into oblivion’s cesspool.
With what sensitive, discerning yet piperitious aphorism should one greet this news? “Good riddance” comes to mind.
A coalition supporting the gay and transgender members of the Anglican church is pressing for it to recognise the contribution made by those clergy without whom, it says, some parishes “would face utter collapse”.
The group advocates lifting the ban on bishops in civil partnerships and allowing priests free choice on whether to conduct such ceremonies in their churches, an issue currently being considered by a review group in the church’s House of Bishops.
Reverend Benny Hazlehurst, Chair of the LGBT Anglican Coalition, told PinkNews.co.uk the group would be handing out flyers outside the General Synod at a Silent Act of Witness tomorrow ahead of its meeting with the review group this month.
He said: “If all the LGB&T Clergy were to leave the Church of England, parochial and sector ministry in the Church of England would suffer major trauma, and the parish system in some parts of the country would face utter collapse.”
Rev Hazlehurst said the group estimated there are over 1,500 gay, bi or trans clergy in the country and the LGBT Anglican Coalition was advocating more recognition of these members.
If all the LGB&T Clergy were to leave the Church of England there would probably be a stampede to get back into the CofE of old. Hopefully they would box up all their inovations with them. It would serve TEC right if they all emegrated to the US.
Why can’t people get it? We know there have always been same-sex attracted people in the C of E’s clergy, but in the past they did not want to try to assert that it’s permissible within Christianity to have same-sex physical relationships and menages. People may well have attractions of all kinds, acting on them (or claiming that it is acceptable within Christianity to do so) is the big difference. Many clergy have often been attacted to married women they encounter (eg. the organist’s wife; but acting upon the attraction is, always has been, and always will be, sinful. “Period!” – as Americans say.
What are the sheep supposed to do when sheppards are in fact the wolves?
they leave…or get eaten.
Fight back?