Sunday, May 29, 2011

RELIGIOUS SEXUAL AFFAIRS

Apart from a Geordie talent show hostess whose talents - and in all likelihood regional speech - the Americans have not taken to, the other recent non news item was a feature on, Shock,horror, senior clergy, Bishops no less, in the Church of England who are said to be closet homosexuals. With the homophobia that is extant in the churches, (this is not exclusive to the Anglican Community or Christianity) it is not surprising that there are people who keep their sexual orientation firmly private. However pluralistic and tolerant we profess to be in the UK, the the vigorous vocal phobic clerical detractors do mirror society. Are these the same clergy who are intolerant to women taking an active and responsible role in faith? I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the same tactics used against women officiating at all levels in the Church of England, are now being employed about the sexual orientation of some of the senior clergy, by a vociferous few.

It is just possible that there is a caucus of churchmen, (it is men who are fronting up media arguments) who are determined to force a schism in the Church Of England by any means at their disposal. If so, the politics of it are positively medieval. 

It would be curious if the latest wave of dissenting clergy try to absorb themselves into the other church, the Roman Catholic See. Perhaps they would not be invited, because it might be that their views would be considered too 'controversial'.

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