Tuesday 1 July 2008

Women Bishops in the Church of England

OK, this is not a club of which I am a current member (I had a junior membership but I think it lapsed) so you might argue that I am not entitled to an opinion. On the other hand rightly or wrongly it is the established church in this country, our Head of State is its boss, and so maybe its doings are of more interest to me than if that were not the case. Or maybe I am just interested anyway. Whatever.

What, exactly, would be so very bad about women bishops in the CoE? I simply don't get it.

Two comments:

  1. My view (for what unbelievably little it is worth) is that it has everything to do with patriarchal misogynistic oppression and nothing to do with any real theology. The latter, I worry, gets used as a front for the former. I see antis talking on TV and, like the gay-haters, they are never people I can imagine wanting to talk to or being comfortable with. And yes, as I'm a sad old lefty I suppose this sort of harrumphing Middle Englandism is pretty much bound to raise my hackles. Even so.
  2. For a laugh, compare the differing treatments of this story in the Guardian and the Times - I feel they pretty much sum up the whole thing:

Guardian
Church of England: Archbishop confronts Anglican rebels
Williams challenges legitimacy and authority of breakaway faction

Times
Church of England clergy plan mass exit over women bishops
1,300 write protest letter to archbishop

Slight difference in viewpoint there?

Ho hum.

No comments: