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Tuesday 14 February 2017

First misogynistic then homophobic, now potential killers! No wonder people are leaving the Church in droves


Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue
 And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true....♫

From some recent reports as Synod prepares for the LGBT battle:

 "The Church is driving homosexual people to suicide because of its negative and discriminatory attitude towards same-sex relationships, a major Christian charity has concluded" (here).


"Church of England 'not listening to gay Christians', say retired bishops". "In an open letter published online, 14 leading retired bishops wrote that a recent report on same-sex marriage failed to include the “authentic voice” of the LGBT community and was instead focused on talking about them rather than to them" (here).


"The Bible doesn’t have anything to say about lesbians but they need to be included in order to make statements about the group who really disturb the men. These are the men, who are men, but do not behave like men when it comes to sex and they need to stop it" (here).


The onslaught* is gaining momentum. Lies, damned lies and statistics to 'prove' that the House of Bishops has it wrong by defending traditional marriage. Previously accused of homophobia, now defenders of the Christian faith are charged with driving homosexuals to suicide  because of its negative and discriminatory attitude towards same-sex relationships.

This charge has been shot down on the Psephizo blog which refers to the work of Anglican priest and statistician, the Rev Peter Ould:

What the authors have demonstrated here is that their research shows that, contrary to the claims that Oasis make with no evidence to support them, LGB people do not have worse mental health outcomes when in “non-affirming” church environments and indeed there is some evidence to suggest that attending a conservative church actually improves mental health for LGB people, even when they have significant internalized homophobia.

The 14 retired bishops protest too much. After three years of "shared conversations" with the LGB community and other Christians they write that the bishops' report on same-sex marriage published last month failed to include the “authentic voice” of the LGB community. It was, they complain, focused on talking about them rather than to them. Some of the 14 are readily identifiable as homosexuals but how many of the others are waiting to come out if they have the stamp of approval of the Church?

Their conclusion appears to be that LGB people have been discriminated against because the official report did not come out in favour of gay marriage. A common complaint used by the feminist movement, if you are not for them you are prejudiced and discriminate against them.

As for WATCH perhaps I should let 'The Chair’s thoughts' speak for themselves but I would have thought the statement "The Bible doesn’t have anything to say about lesbians" would be a great comfort to WATCH wimmin. After all, a similar spurious argument helped to secure the ordination of women priests. It will be interesting to see how many more variants of that argument will eventually be employed to create even more diversity in the  Church taking her ever further from her spiritual roots even if it "risks further alienating the church from wider society" as the Guardian report put it.

Learning from the feminist movement, Church of England gay activists such as Changing Attitude are taking the Church down the same path as WATCH did with the same disasterous results. Nothing matters but their own selfish desires. Hence last year's headline: Gay Marriage Support From Christians In The Church Of England Is Now Outstripping Opposition, New Poll Reveals. If the LGBT activists are as successful as the feminists, the Church be will full of lesbians, gays and the gullible.

Referring to "Mr Welby", the Guardian opines in its Editorial that "It is generally accepted that about one in 10 of the Anglican clergy are LGBT (three times the proportion of non-white clergy...hence anguished protests by 14 retired bishops at the weekend)." It is understandable that a newspaper would offer a secular view, but for the Church? Is there nothing that is sacred or spiritual?

So, the Church of England is set for "a renewed clash" this week when Synod votes on a key report from the Bishops on the "divisive question" of gay marriage and same sex relationships mired in gay propaganda and false information. No wonder people are leaving the church in droves.

Feminizing the Anglican Church has been damaging enough, queering the Church for 1.7% of the UK population or 10% of the clergy based on figures in the Guardian  would be a disaster even if it were not contrary to scripture .

Postscript

* The onslaught gains more momentum. Martin Bashir, BBC Religious Affairs Correspondent, writes:

'Fireworks and faith at general synod'
 As members arrive on Wednesday morning, they'll be greeted by a vigil organised by the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement and Changing Attitude with the support of the Peter Tatchell Foundation and Out and Proud African LGBTI.

This is the well tried strategy:

  • Exploit the “victim” status;
  • Use the sympathetic media;
  • Confuse and neutralize the churches;
  • Slander and stereotype [traditionalist] Christians;
  • Bait and switch (hide their true nature); and 
  • Intimidation.
See also  Anglican Mainstream: "Manipulative, domineering revisionists must be opposed, not appeased".
 

5 comments:

  1. Of course the Bible teaches about lesbianism. From beginning to end the Bible talks of marriage as being between a man and woman. That is clear.
    In Romans 1: 26 and 27 it says "women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way among men......"
    Why don't these people learn their Bible before giving press statements on what it says
    It's a shame that when Bishops retire, they don't shut up and retire.................

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  2. I am not homosexual. However, I can provide strong evidence of historical bullying, harassment, discrimination and defamation over a period of 20 years to the present by senior members of the judiciary, acting, for private interest, on behalf of the Church in Wales. Simply google my name. Sheer music in a certain bishops ears - no prizes for guessing who.
    The hypocrisy of the Welsh and English bishops knows no boundaries.

    Clifford Williams

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  3. If the homosexual men did not seek to shout their issues from the roof top,then no-one would seek to comment and criticise.
    Are not these men with atypical sexual behaviour the victims of their own habits, and their psyche tells them that the way in which they seek sexual pleasure is abnormal: that is why (IF it is true) that some with a conscience are driven to suicide.
    I wonder if the General Synod will be discussing the facts about transmission of HIV infection? Or have they a 'blind spot' in this matter.

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  4. It is not the church that isn't listening. The truth is that it is the other way around. Those of us who accept the traditional view of family life as revealed by the scriptures will not ever accept these tortured re-interpretations of scripture. As part the Gospel reading in the lectionary for the 4th Sunday before Lent declares:

    “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

    St Matthew 5:17-19

    Let the words of Christ as endorsed by His Apostles settle the issue. It's no good saying we must interpret scripture for today's society - such a hermeneutical principle is dubious in the extreme, yet it is bandied about like some sort of trump card. Two and two will never equal five no matter who pronounces it to be so.

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  5. What would Jesus say?15 February 2017 at 16:25

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38982013
    "Church of England apologises for tone of gay marriage report".
    Apologies for teaching and adhering to the faith handed down for 2000 years?
    Spines have already been removed.

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