God, gayness and the Guardian.

[zotz]

With the creation of gay clergy once more becoming an Issue in the Public Eye, I'd like to refer you to Karen Armstrong's article of a few weeks ago. Would anyone who knows more than me care to comment?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

This BBC article says "The Anglican Church in America". But the Grauniad article says "Episcopalian".
So are they the same thing, or not?
If they are, that means one bit of the Anglican church (the back-home bit) is saying "No" and another bit of the Anglican church is saying "Yes". Interesting.

[zotz]

That's right, yes. Episcopalian literally means just that they have bishops, but it's practically synonymous with Anglican, as it seems to have caught on to distinguish Anglicanism from presbyterianism. AFAICT, anyway.

[yehoshua.livejournal.com]

The Episcopal Church of America is one branch of the worldwide Anglican communion. My dear old friend the Rt. Rev. James Folts, Bishop Diocesan of West Texas, answers to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, but he nominally answer to the Archbishop of Canterbury, at least at the fancy dress parties like the Lambeth Council.

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

My only comment is that this (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1011460,00.html) is disturbing. I mean we knew Blair was a psycho but this is pushing it.

[zotz]

Yes. It's been a growing trend for a fair while, though. I suppose it's the US influence.

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

I guess the most important implication in my world is for the decision about whether to vote Lib Dem or strategically-Tory at the next election in order to best promote getting religion out of our government again..

[zotz]

Voting Tory won't do it. The trend crept into British government when they were in power.

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

Bleuch. Still at least that means I can vote with my conscience :)

[zotz]

Yes. Always nice, that.

[nickys.livejournal.com]

You might want to check out randomchris's journal for recent discussions on the Church's attitude to gay marriage.

(...or you might not, depending on how patient you're feeling about the fundamentalists saying "There are no alternative hypotheses")


As to the article, yes, marriage had nothing to do with Christianity until about the 13th Century when the church spotted a gap in the market and went for it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

The Boston globe's take on the gay bishop.

"This body, in willfully confirming the election of a person sexually active outside of holy matrimony, has departed from the historic faith and order of the church of Jesus Christ," said Bishop Robert W. Duncan of Pittsburgh.

I don't suppose suggesting gay marriage rights as the solution to the problem of gay clergy living in sin would go down well with Bishop Duncan...