Who can we trust?

The Church of England is being asked to reconsider if it can still accept conservative bishops who oppose women priests (here and here). Should we be surprised? Women's movements such as WATCH aided by their pathetic fellow travellers have it all except parity. They are working on that.

Remember the debates? - It did not mean that women would be made priests if deaconesses were allowed to be deacons. - It was unfair not to allow women deacons to become priests, after all, there was little difference other than being able to say a few extra words! - The 'stained glass' ceiling was unjust; having agreed that women can become priests we cannot deny them the right to become bishops. The rest is history. Faith is passé. It is about so-called equality and being relevant to society, never mind the consequences.

Past dirty tactics are forgotten but filth was sent through the post to opponents who simply wanted to uphold the faith as received. In one of the earliest comments on this blog I was branded a c*** for my conscientious objection to the catholic faith we shared with most Christians throughout the world being amended by synodical procedures for political purposes.

The message is clear. Say anything, do anything to achieve your goal then renege on agreements claiming further persecution and discrimination until all opposition is eliminated.

Many of the faithful have given up the struggle as churches become little more than tea rooms with an opportunity for dressing up to perform parodies of ancient rituals. The younger element may be attracted to messy church and toddler groups especially if access to education is enhanced by church going but where are the in-betweens who should replace the increasingly elderly congregations? Churchgoers have in many congregations been replaced by church users. Consequently buildings which were loved and cared for are falling into decay.

Figures produced by ComRes, and commissioned by the Church, show that many of those who claim to be Christian don't actually take part in many of the activities which are normally associated with the faith. Figures show that 60 per cent of self-declared followers of the Church admit they never read the Bible, and 36 per cent say they never attend church. One in three said they never pray.

By contrast Muslims are the world’s fastest-growing religious group. "In the next half century or so, Christianity’s long reign as the world’s largest religion may come to an end". Who cares? What is the Government's response to the continuing 'Islamic extremist' threat to our democracy?

If there were a secular book for sale which was full of hate against non-believers with instructions on how to deal with kafirs by decapitating them for not agreeing to subjugation it would be banned but it is acceptable as a religious book of instruction because devotees assure the ignorant that Islam is a religion of peace despite all the evidence to the contrary over the last 1400 years.

The Government and media are so caught up in the political correctness that in addition to the constant threat of violence, countless young British white girls have been trafficked by Muslims who have a totally different outlook on life and the position of women in their adopted country.

So successful has the Muslim community been in claiming to be persecuted victims that anyone daring to draw attention to the many anomalies are branded hateful racists even though Islam is not a race but a religious ideology. That alone should indicate a level of ignorance which demands attention but critical analysis is immediately challenged as Islamophobia. - Heads you loses, literally, tails they win.

Ironically it seems that many Muslims know as little about their religion as many Christians while many Anglicans are prepared to twist the faith to accord with their own selfish desires.  A 'good' Muslim will follow instructions in the Quran to defeat the kafir by whatever means. Most will choose deception while a few pursue violent jihad. That the majority live peacefully convinces the gullible that Islam is a religion of peace.

Can we trust the Government to study this contradiction before we too become a minority in our own land as loyal Anglicans have been sidelined by secularists in their own church?

"For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." Matthew 25:29

Time for change

Bishop John Davies who is to be the 13th Archbishop of Wales                          Source: WalesOnline

A leopard does not change its spots but many a cleric changed his stance after the Church in Wales' Governing Body decision to ordain women, ignoring the counsel of the Eastern church, Roman Catholics and, indeed, the vast majority of Anglicans throughout the world who had not been caught up in the mistaken belief that society has to inform the church rather than the church inform society as part of the Great Commission.

Whatever their reason, with the Church of Wales predicted to collapse within a generation it is again time for a change of stance to restore the sense of mystery and 'otherness' of the church so that when officials offer their "thoughts and prayers" after every tragedy their 'heartfelt' words are less of a cliche.

Many ex-churchgoing worshippers have remarked on hearing the news of bishop John's election: 'Hasn't he done well but, of course, he used to be against the ordination of women......' Readers can fill in the rest - but not for publication! The same could apply to most clergy who occupy senior positions in what have become management roles, primarily for managing decline.

'Unlucky for some', the 13th Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, has a heaven sent opportunity to make a different call, to right previous wrongs in line with the wishes of the majority of church members when they were consulted about the woeful Code of Practice devised by the Archdeacon of Llandaff to exclude faithful traditionalists whilst pretending to be inclusive.

The latest regular, adult, Sunday attendance figures in Wales make grim reading at 28,291 souls. That is 0.9% of the population, with Baptisms down 8% and Confirmations down a massive 21%.

Even funerals, a nice little earner for many a cleric, are down 4% as the popularity of secular funerals increases. Weddings are also down 4%. With more than half of the UK's population declaring no religion, the future for Christianity in this country looks bleak.

The Harris Review Recommendation [XLII (1)] that Fees for occasional offices should be paid into church accounts and go towards the cost of the Share in the Ministry Area was rejected at Governing Body. Perhaps financial self-interest will be the Achilles heel requiring a review of past mistakes.

The worst mistake the new archbishop could make is to be seen as being tarred with the Morgan brush. Archbishop Morgan's political agenda has resulted in the Church in Wales suffering a similar fate as the US Episcopal Church (TEC) under their heretical Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori.

So, is there hope? From Wales Online: "'Religion isn't something to be frightened of' - Wales' new archbishop on the challenges ahead. - The new Archbishop of Wales is on a mission to “rehabilitate” the church in Welsh culture at a time of plummeting attendances.

Referring to the "debate and controversy" on same sex marriage the archbishop-elect rather worryingly said: “I think the world outside the church certainly thinks that the church is probably out of step with society... so it’s going to remain a live issue and I have little doubt that it will come back onto our agenda probably at some point in the not too distant future.”

That does not sound very encouraging if the church is to uphold the Christian faith against the tide of secularism but bishop John deserves a chance to prove that he is his own man, not a Morgan clone. To “rehabilitate” is to to return someone to a good, healthy, or normal life or condition. That should indicate a return to traditional Christian values, the 'otherness' and mystery of faith. Further secularisation, twisting scripture to mean something different after millennia is not rehabilitation, it is devaluation.

Looking forward to Archbishop John's Presidential address at the forthcoming meeting of the Governing Body he cannot afford to disappoint traditionalists again. The Church in Wales needs every soul she can muster. He has already expressed his wish that "traditionalists and progressives within Church in Wales can continue to worship together".

That wish is not new. Previously it was expressed by the Archdeacon of Llandaff based on terms dictated by Barry Morgan which ignored the conscientious beliefs of faithful Anglicans. It was a take it or leave it approach. Many have left the church, or more accurately, the church has left them, a dreadful indictment.

If that take it or leave it approach is allowed to persist bishop John Davies could well be the last Archbishop of Wales as numbers continue to fall and giving shrinks to unsustainable levels. It is indeed, time for change.

Updates

Listen to a 30 min in-depth BBC radio interview with the Archbishop here.

[11.09.2017]

Archbishop John Davies shares his vision for the Church in Wales under his leadership
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=21&v=jdo1hiMUzr4

Decision time

The bishops of St Davids, St Asaph, Llandaff, Swansea & Brecon, Bangor and Monmouth                                                                   Source: Church in Wales

The 2012 Church in Wales Review kicked off with two recommendations:

Recommendation I

1) The Governing Body and bishops should make it clear, if

necessary by Constitutional amendment, that motions can come

from parishes, and deaneries (or whatever body might replace

them), to Diocesan Conferences, and from Diocesan Conferences

to the Governing Body, and that such motions would be

welcome.

Recommendation II

Candidates for election to the Governing Body should provide a

short manifesto which would be sent out to all electors by each

diocesan office. All elections in the Church should be conducted

in such a way as to ensure that electors know what the

candidates stand for on the issues of the day. 

Looking at the Agenda for the next Governing Body meeting little has changed. However, the spirit of Recommendation I is apparent in the Reverend Harri Williams' Private Members Motion on ‘Admission to Communion’. 

From the explanatory note: "Following the publication of the ‘Documents about Admission to Communion’ in September 2016, considerable discussion was held within the Deanery of Roose about the proposed changes. Whilst acknowledging that matters of faith and order are the preserve of the Bench of Bishops, it was recognised that these changes presented significant practical and pastoral considerations, for both clergy and laity, which it was felt had not been fully considered. These discussions voiced concerns which were shared on a wider basis throughout the Diocese."

The background can be read in a March entry, 'Dodgy legal advice leads to Eucharistic free for all'. That was the conclusion of the Rev'd Professor Thomas Glyn Watkin, a former Professor of Law at Cardiff and Bangor and former Legal Assistant to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales.

Professor Watkin wrote: "The interpretation placed upon the rubric by the Legal Sub-Committee not only circumvents the Church's due processes for alteration to rites and discipline. In its consequences, it displays a scant respect for - or an inchoate understanding of - the rule of law in Church affairs."

It will be interesting to see how the bishops respond to genuine concerns expressed in the pews about an enforced alteration to rites and discipline. The bishops were forced to backtrack on their desire to adopt same sex marriage in Church after the pew sitters expressed their concerns illustrating that their liberal agenda is not necessarily shared by members paying the Parish Share which is reflected by a continual fall in regular attendance, down to 28,291 and a reduction in planned giving from £11.4m in 2015 to £11.1m in 2016 - see Membership and Finances 2016 here.

Recommendation II implies openness but that could be used to vet candidates for election to the Governing Body to ensure even more like-mindedness to drive through proposals which do not necessarily reflect the views of the pew sitters. Of the farcical consultations carried out by the Church in Wales the most damaging was the refusal of the bench of bishops to entertain any sort of alternative Episcopal oversight for members who in conscience cannot accept the sacramental ministry of a woman priest. This has become a far greater problem with the appointment of two women bishops.

The bishops of St Davids and Llandaff have clearly stated their liberal agendas with more emphasis on inclusion and parity but with Barry Morgan in retirement, what are the real thoughts of the more senior bishops? Some potted histories are available here but what of their future plans if elected? In the process as described the meeting of the Electoral College will "begin with a discussion on the needs of the Province and a period of prayer and reflection".

They will need to pray about past mistakes and reflect on taking the Morgan line that there would be alternative episcopal oversight over his dead body. Many clergy and lay people have been forced to decide whether they can, in conscience, continue their membership of a church which values only their financial contributions. For many there is no alternative but to stay away. If that sits easily with the collective consciences of the bishops of the Church in Wales they will be seen as wolves rather than shepherds.

The decision must be for a good shepherd who cares for all his sheep.

Updates [06.09.2017]

1. It has been announced that he new Archbishop of Wales is the Rt Rev John Davies, the bishop of Swansea and Brecon. Our prayers must be for the restoration of the Church in Wales, undoing the damage of his predecessor, to ensure that all are welcome with acceptable sacramental and pastoral provision for all those souls neglected for so long.

2. Church in Wales report here.

Muslim Jesus common ground: What common ground?

 There was outrage among many Catholics and others when Pope John Paul II was photographed kissing the gift of a copy of the Quran, explained here. That was nothing compared with the anger, violence and protests by Muslim scholars and religious leaders who criticised Pope Benedict XVI, claiming that the Pope had criticised Islam and its concept of jihad when he quoted a 14th-century Christian Emperor who had said that the Prophet Muhammad had brought the world "evil and inhuman" things. Pope Benedict was condemned for referring to this period in history and  urged to play a positive role in bringing Islam and Christianity closer. It was as if 1400 years of jihad were a fiction when its consequences are plain to see.

Pakistan's parliament passed a resolution demanding that the Pope retract his remarks "in the interest of harmony between religions" while the "hostile" remarks drew a demand for an apology from a "top religious official" in Turkey where the Basilica of Hagia Sophia, built in 537 AD, was converted into a mosque in 1453. It was secularised in 1931 before becoming a museum in 1935. Following President Erdogan's promotion of Islam giving it a more prominent role in Turkey there are growing calls to convert the museum back into a practicing mosque.

Meanwhile remnants of ancient civilisations are being destroyed to eradicate any suggestion that Islam has been spread by conquest. Churches are regularly destroyed in Islamic countries and Christians oppressed in what were Christian countries. Simply consider the plight of the Copts in Egypt as an example of the persecution experienced by Christians in what was a Christian country in ancient times.

Often referred to derisively as the "National Catholic Distorter", the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) may not find its way to many coffee tables which is probably just as well given this headline: "The Muslim Jesus provides common ground for Christianity, Islam".

The only common ground between Christianity and Islam are the bits lifted from the Bible to support spurious Islamic claims. They may recognise Abraham, Moses, the Virgin Mary and Jesus, regarded as a minor prophet, but they deny the centrality of the Christian faith, that Jesus is the Son of God, He died on the Cross, rose again and ascended into heaven.

In an interesting juxtaposition, the video 'Jihad Exposed in America' appeared on the Facing Islam Blog. In just a few minutes Robert Spencer completely demolishes the spurious claims made in the National Catholic Reporter and goes on to explain the Dhimmi, the subjugation of non-Muslims after conquest. [Advance to position 13.40 if you cannot spare the time to watch the whole interview.]

The NCR report concludes with: "The importance of finding common ground has become particularly apparent after the events in Charlottesville this month, which laid bare real and deep divisions in our country. Reconciling Christianity and Islam based on a true understanding of each other's religions could serve as a bulwark against these divisions and provide a worldwide example to emulate."

Deception does not provide common ground any more than the absurd statement that Islamophobia is defined as "unfounded hostility towards Muslims and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims". That is simply a 'PC' device to deflect any questioning of Muslim behaviour, a device which has resulted in hundreds of young girls being sexually abused by mainly Muslim men in Great Britain.

Most people will be familiar with the claim that 'Islam is a religion of peace'. Prime Minister Blair along with US Presidents Bush and Clinton said so. Experts begged to differ but the same claims are made today every time a violent Muslim follows their Prophets example as demanded in the Quran.

The latest ISIS propaganda film threatens Pope Francis. Fighters are seen "stamping on a bust of Jesus, defacing pictures of the pontiff and vowing to come to Rome". Sadly such threats and "terrorist" actions (the media have already been cowed into describing Muslim aggressors as terrorists) have become so commonplace that people simply shrug their shoulders saying that they are not afraid and will not be deterred instead of investigating the real cause of the problem. Those who do are criticised as being Islamophobic.

Outright Islamic invasion has been replaced by immigration and cultural jihad in the West. This is the reality but political correctness and charges of Islamophobia keep the truth hidden while Muslims are allowed to build mosques, practice Sharia and encourage conversion while denying Muslims the truth about the saving nature of Christianity as opposed to submission which is Islam.

It has been estimated that 80% of Muslims have not heard the Gospel message. Despite Christ's command to evangelize, 67% of all humans from AD 30 to the present day have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ and 91% of all Christian outreach/evangelism does not target non-Christians, but targets other Christians.

That anyone can suggest that Jesus links Islam to Christianity illustrates either a complete ignorance of Islam or a desire to mislead and subjugate more people into Dhimmitude by deception.

As I close this entry I have noticed this report in Christian Today:

 A five-year-old girl from a Christian family was left 'very distressed' after she was fostered to two Muslim families, encouraged to learn Arabic and had her Christian cross taken away.

After the two placements by Tower Hamlets council in east London, the girl returned home where she told her birth mother that Christmas and Easter are 'stupid' and European women are alcoholics, according to a report in The Times. And she refused to eat what had been her favourite meal spaghetti carbonara, because it contained bacon.

According to The Times, the child sobbed and begged not to have to go back to her foster home, where her present carer wears a burqa, covering her face entirely, outside the home. She told her social worker: 'They don't speak English.' Her own family had opposed the placements. Full report here.

One can imagine the outrage if the position were reversed

Barry's gay legacy

Provincial news: Pride Cymru                                                                                                                Source: Church in Wales

 After 14 years in office as Archbishop of Wales, this is his legacy. A gay pride event fronted by the first woman bishop in the Church in Wales, highlighted as Provincial news on the Church in Wales web site under the headline "Bishop celebrates at Pride Cymru". 

Supported by predominantly women clergy, the bishop of St Davids will "take part in a discussion about faith and sexuality" before "leading Pride’s first ever Communion service". Penarth assistant curate, the Revd Rosemary Hill, will be talking about "bi-sexual Christianity" and later Newport assistant curate, the Revd James Henley, will discuss "belonging in a disconnected world". On Sunday, the Revd Rhian Linecar, Cardiff assistant curate, will lead Taize sung prayer and meditation, no doubt on an 'inclusive' theme.

FaithTent coordinator, the Revd Delyth Liddell, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming our first ever Bishop to the #FaithTent this year, Bishop Joanna". 

In one small step towards the bishop of Llandaff's goal of parity, the omnipresent cleric at 'inclusion' events, Canon Aled Edwards, chief executive of Cytun, Churches Together, will talk about “Open Inclusive Nation” before leading the closing thanksgiving service.

Deemed by Archbishop Morgan to be the 'best person to be a bishop', Joanna Penberthy was reported to have been elected in a 'stitch up'. Could her LGBT credentials have been why?  The news of her election was welcomed by one gay priest on Thinking Anglicans as "Wonderful news - for Wales and for the LGBT Community in the Church".

Given that her name had been circulating months before her election it should have come as no surprise but it did for those who believed that the work of the Holy Spirit could not be manipulated. One former Archbishop actually described the loss of the vote for woman priests as the work of the Devil.

If twenty years of women priests culminating in a bishop favouring the gay community over cradle Anglicans whose only desire has been to worship as the Holy Spirit moves them, the Archbishop could have been right but on the wrong occasion.  

Presumably, then, the task of a bishop in the Church in Wales today in Barry Morgan's book is to advance Queer Theology. Joanna Penberthy has been most conspicuous by her presence at all things gay but little else from Church in Wales news reports.

Looking back, bishop Penberthy was to the fore in Victims last December and in Church in Crisis in February this year. More recently she preached at the Welsh National Eisteddfod on 'diversity', reported more accurately elsewhere as LGBTQIA+.

The first woman bishop is no longer alone. The new bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne has a similar LGBT agenda.

The bishop of St Davids participation in Pride Cymru's Gay Weekend in Cardiff brings more LGBT 'good news' from one who has become a peripatetic ambassador for the LGBTQIA+ agenda, moving from diocese to diocese to welcome those who claim to be unwelcome despite all the evidence to the contrary. It is a ploy. Their aim is same sex marriage in church.

So this is Barry Morgan's legacy. A queered church motivated by illiberal 'liberal' clergy with a bishop in St Asaph taking on the mantle of Self inflicted pain while leaving traditional Anglicans with nothing but memories to support their faith. 

Barry Morgan's successor as Archbishop must break his secularist mould and return the Church to spirituality.

Update [27.08.2017]

"Bishop's Pride Cymru involvement 'fantastic'" - Rev Delyth Liddell faith tent coordinator.

The faith tent coordinator is a Methodist minister and University Chaplain. In a BBC video interview she highlighted the leadership of the bishop of St Davids.  Liddell claimed that LGBT people "would not be allowed to receive Communion" and "would not be welcome in church" which is what made the bishop's Eucharistic celebration so "fantastic".

As a Methodist minister Liddell may be ale to back up her claim but not in the Church in Wales. In reality I suspect it is just another 'persecution' claim built on fantasy as was bishop Penberthy's claim of discrimination which on examination turned out to be nothing more than someone taking an opposing view to hers.

Problem? What problem?

In my previous entry I referred to the owner of a Tandoori Indian Balti House in Ashford who discovered that his Muslim staff were ignorant of aspects of their own religion:

"After reading the Qur'an and observing the behaviour of my Muslim staff, it became clear that they were not practising much of their religion’s teachings. I found this curious, and, after chatting to them about their belief, I realised this was due to their ignorance of the Quranic verses. They simply do not know what their religion teaches. Their ignorance is almost on a par with the wider public's, where the horrors and gross gender inequalities of Islam are not apparent to most people".

By contrast, speaking to Ian Dale on LBC, Dionne, a young British Muslim convert, said she had been brought up as a Christian but soon found herself searching for something with more “integrity”. Christians, she said, “did not know their bible” and would “interpret things however they wanted to” - something she claimed is not possible with Islam.

“With the Quran you can’t do that, you have to take every word literally. There is no modernising of the Quran… there is no modernising with this religion”. Listen to their 4 Min. dialogue here.

When Ian Dale challenged Dionne on the position of woman in Islam she was in denial, claiming that people have "misconceptions" of Islam. Perhaps she considers the law which allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering the word "talaq" three times is fair.  India's Supreme Court took a different view when it ruled a 'controversial Muslim instant divorce law unconstitutional'.

Three months on from the horror of the Manchester terror attack the method now favoured by Islamists for attacking innocent Westerners is to hire a lorry and drive it into a crowd of people who were simply minding their own business having been assured that Islam is a religion of peace.

Of particular relevance to problems which British Anglicans are facing was Dionne's comment that "you cannot make God in your own image, you have to worship God as He is", something that the bishops of the Church of England feel the need to wrestle with. She said, with the Quran you have to take every word literally.

That is the problem. While the majority of Muslims do not, a minority of Muslims take the violent verses in the Quran as instructions but nobody it seems is willing to tackle that problem head on.

Above criticism despite the evidence?

 A Christian street preacher who was arrested and held for 13 hours in a police cell, after displaying placards depicting love for Muslims and criticising the ideology of Islam, has this week been informed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that no charges will be brought against him.

Ian, owner of the Singleton Tandoori Indian Balti House in Ashford, began taking his placards onto the street in January 2017 after it became clear that his Muslim staff were ignorant of aspects of their own religion.

"After reading the Qur'an and observing the behaviour of my Muslim staff, it became clear that they were not practising much of their religion’s teachings. I found this curious, and, after chatting to them about their belief, I realised this was due to their ignorance of the Quranic verses. They simply do not know what their religion teaches," he said.

He continued, "Their ignorance is almost on a par with the wider public's, where the horrors and gross gender inequalities of Islam are not apparent to most people".

Read the full Christian Concern report here.

The so-called "terrorist" attacks on innocent people of all faiths, including Muslims, and none in Spain were committed by Muslims responding to calls in the Qur'an. Referring to them terrorists obscures the fact that such attacks have been going on for 1400 years. Read about so-called "terrorists" in an excellent blog entry here and "sick followers" of ISIS here, a Mirror report in which I can find no reference whatsoever to Islam or Muslims.

In a recent BBC Newsnight programme the founder of the British Muslim Youth claimed that a Newcastle grooming gang should not be considered 'Muslim' because “These grooming gangs were individuals that were using alcohol, using drugs and actually having ‘sessions’ exploiting these young girls."

The Shadow Equalities Minister Sarah Champion was forced to resign after an article in the Sun in which she wrote "Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls". She subsequently "apologise for the offence caused by the extremely poor choice of words in the Sun article" and tendered her resignation as shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities.

Commentators bend over backwards to avoid using Muslim or Islam when reporting on "terrorist" attacks and the seemingly endless problem of what they prefer to call 'men of Asian origin' grooming predominantly white girls for sex, thus condemning whole communities through political correctness.

Unless the authorities grasp the nettle and admit that Islam presents a problem by constantly referring to it as a religion of peace despite all the evidence to the contrary we risk ever more atrocities and exploitation of vulnerable girls.

Update

Daily Star - Knifeman 'shouting ALLAHU AKBAR' stabs eight people in Finland and leaves two dead
"Witnesses said he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' which means 'God is great' as he stabbed eight people in Market Square, leaving two dead and six injured."

Again there is no mention of Muslims or Islam. Why?