The Church of England has taken a step towards liberalising its teaching on homosexuality with the announcement of a review of its teaching that active same-sex relationships are wrong.
Its bishops admitted that they had spent “very little time” discussing the issue that has torn the fabric of the wider Anglican Communion.
The Bishop of Norwich, the Right Rev Graham James, a favourite to succeed Dr Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury, said that the bishops now accept that they have a responsibility to address the policy issue.
Oh, goody! Just what the Church needs………more support of immorality!
Has ++Rowan completely lost the plot? It’s as if he’s trying to take the C of E into some sort of quasi-religious but mostly “humanitarian” organizational role in British society. He isn’t even bothering to attempt to function as the spiritual leader of the AC anymore.
What with his silly and resented forays into political/government commentary and his ignorance or willful avoidance of the pressures on the Communion, he is operating more like a political activist these days than an ABC. And he’s putting the C of E, in particular, in a very bad position.
He’s got to go. Hopefully David Cameron and the Queen will see to that. His time as ABC has to be up soon anyway, doesn’t it? Or does “nine years” stick in my head because it may be our PB’s tenure?
I should add that I’ve never had anything against the ABC. In fact, I’ve read some of his books and quite a few of his sermons and found him to be incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, and an excellent theologian. He proved to be a poor leader, though, and the qualities that make him an excellent theologian impeded successful organizational leadership. In short, he was long on thought, discussion, and pondering various points of view but very reticent about taking action.
However, now he ISN’T loathe to direct, speak out, and take action with regard to secular policy and how the C of E should support the agenda of liberal politics. He’s found his voice, is using his position and perturbing everyone. Why the change? Why the meddling? And why the move to breaking completely with the spiritual function of the Church?
Everyone knows what it means when a church announces it is going to “Reconsider” something. It means another traditional church teaching is about to be flushed down the nearest toilet.
But since so many alleged Christians today say they do not believe in the Resurection–why not just “reconsider” all church teachings and close up shop. Maybe the Catholics and the Evangelicals and the Orthodox can put the former Christian Anglican Churches to good use–after all some were built by those who had the Catholic Faith and would be spinning in their graves to discover that what they built is now the property of “believers” who are on the road to having no Christian morals or beliefs.
I have never bought into this wise unworldly theologian view. UNder Williams Anglicanism has become unrecognisable from Liberalism. There is a reason for that. Williams is a very clever man whose political outlook takes precedent over his beliefs. I personally think that he has instrumented much of what has come to pass under his watch. Forever holding the orthodox voice frustrated in indaba, debate and angst whilst allowing the liberal eganda to roll ever forwards- one bit at a time so the whole thing never quite collapses…
Deaconjohn,
I don’t doubt that if CofE keeps going down this road, many CofE churches will indeed end up being used by Catholics, Evangelicals, Orthodox and other faithful Christians.
God can only be mocked for so long…