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Tuesday 7 February 2017

Now you see it, now you don't. Now you see it...





Proudly proclaimed (again) as a St Asaph Diocesan press release on the Church in Wales web site:

 LGBT+ film shown in St Asaph Cathedral shortlisted for a prize

This 'shortlisted' film was previously referred to in 'The Host', an entry made on 7 December 2016. The film was later taken down 'for private viewing', possibly after second thoughts, only to re-surface as courage gripped those responsible.

Shortlisted for a prize it may be but it is the biggest load of old tosh that I have come across even if it is much admired by the LTGBQ+, etc, etc, community and the diocese of St Asaph as they try to outdo Llandaff as the most gay friendly diocese in the Church in Wales. Viewed from outside the Church the 'agony' 'suffered' by this bunch of bellyachers must appear compelling. From the inside it is garbage. The Church in Wales is full of gay people. Those in the closet must be praying that gay marriage is accepted on a par with traditional marriage so that they can come out. 

The most interesting aspects of the film are Llandaff's liturgical dance leader, Archdeacon Peggy 'the pilot' Jackson sanctimoniously crossing herself after all the damage she has done to the Church as the chief architect of exclusion, closely followed by the then soon to be 'synthetic fire-dancing' bishop-elect of St Davids making the whole thing appear a conspiracy turning the Church in Wales into a haven for self-indulgent feminists, lesbians, gays and anything but traditional Anglicans who, in Jackson's words, are expected to look elsewhere.

The bench of bishops made a public apology to the LGBT community for the 'wrong' they have suffered. I challenge them to view this film and compare the treatment of the LGBT community which has a presence at all levels in the Church in Wales with the exclusion of loyal members of the Church in Wales who have been consistently snubbed since Bishop David Thomas retired in 2008.

Jackson lectured the Governing Body in 2014: "The Bishops should draw up a code such that all may have security in their accepted and valued place in the Church in Wales. It should not be interpreted as meeting the needs of a minority.” 

In 2015, 1.7% of the UK population identified themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB). The Church in Wales decided not to recognise 'traditionalist' Anglicans so why the clamour to accord special treatment to the LGBT community? Can it be that they already form a majority where power is exercised? Changing Attitude indeed!

Postscript

Meanwhile in the Church of England, "LGBT Campaigners Plot Shock Defeat Of Church’s Gay Marriage Stance" (here).

Postscript [17.02.2017]

In England the LGBT plot succeeded. Synod voted not to take note of the bishops' Report (see above).

In Wales "Stories of LGBT+ Christians" wins the Iris Community Short Film Award.
Mike Jones from Changing Attitude, Trawsnewid Agwedd Cymru, one of the 'stars' of the film said: “Our hope is that the film will challenge and inspire the Church in Wales to fully include LGBTQIA people in its life and ministry, and be a sign of God’s love and justice in a broken world.”

The fact that LGBTQIA people are included in the life and ministry of the Church in Wales must have eluded the judges as it has its target audience.

If the sob stories were true the protesters would deserve some sympathy but in St Asaph the agenda is dominated by LGBT+ issues. In Llandaff the facts speak for themselves as they do in the Church of England where the clergy told their bishops what to do with the doctrine of the Church.

Marriage is between a man and a woman. If the Church gives in and accepts the campaigners demands for same sex marriage in church we may as well switch off the lights now.

27 comments:

  1. Does St Asaph have a "Fantabulous Fairy" in their Deanery yet?

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  2. Not the Nine O Clock Pews8 February 2017 at 01:05

    I watched a bit of that video from St Asaph. What I saw were individuals who seemed mentally imbalanced, finding ways of justifying their condition by imposing it on the Church. Narcissism is a factor in many personality disorders.

    Only 40 years ago, homosexuality was still classified as a psychiatric condition by the American Psychiatric Association. A series of political protests and targeting of its members forced the APA to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness in the early 1970s. Since then we've been expected to "celebrate" it instead of treat it.
    http://www.blowthetrumpet.org/IsHomosexualityaMentalDisorder.htm

    The problem with filling a church with those who are manifestly not normal is that the general populace gets displaced. The majority may not voice opinions that are now politically incorrect, but will instead vote with their feet. Like it or not, people often find gays "creepy", especially when they gather in numbers in a place of worship. Add to that the arrogance of the homosexuals interviewed in the St Asaph film, about the need to "bring the church" in their direction, and you can see how much of a problem this has become.

    The Church must set the record straight in all senses!

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  3. @Not the nine O clock news : Yes I get the 'creepy' bit. I was sitting behind a couple of gay men in church, and the priest mentioned the word 'love' in his sermon.This word provoked exchange of a 'cheesy',sickening grin between the two guys. Narcissism may well be the diagnosis.

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  4. What would Jesus say?8 February 2017 at 09:40

    Assuming the statistic of 1.7% above is accurate, in the interests of equality and fair representation reflecting the society in which we live, 1.7% of the C of E synod and C in W representative body members should be LGBTQIA.
    Will Archbishop Welby and the new Archbishop of Wales publish the actual figure so we can draw our own conclusions about why so much time and valuable resources are wasted on this rubbing?

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    Replies
    1. In my little world ,it is more than 1.7% of the priests I know who are homosexual.

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    2. I'm speechless. I watched the video and was moved by the faith of those who spoke. The conclusions drawn here are that gay people are mentally imbalanced and creepy ... and you say there isn't a problem. The 5 responses above are a caricature of the very problem you deny. Whilst I was shocked by these contributions, I have come to accept them as normative on this site.

      I challenge anyone with an open heart and a ounce of humanity to watch the 9mins of this video and not be moved by the faith-filled humanity of its contributors.

      Suspect this will not be posted

      Delete
    3. Reverendess Sarah Hildreth-Osborn claims she was considered to be a scandal risk to the Church and someone needed to keep an eye on her so she had to serve a curacy.
      All newly ordained priests have always had to serve a curacy and be supervised or guided for an appropriate period of time by a more experienced cleric.
      The fact that she had to so so was neither discrimination nor special treatment.

      Delete
    4. What a load of tosh and self-serving propaganda. The older generation will remember among others Canon Rew in Llandaff in the 1960s and 1970s. He was gay and as camp as a row of tents at a scout jamboree but was certainly not mistreated.
      Quite the opposite. I remember him being asked about the Ordination of women after he'd retired. He almost choked laughing as he told me he didn't know what all the fuss was over since the Church had been ordaining old women for centuries.

      Delete
    5. The problem is fundamentally that whatever novelties or reinterpretation of scriptures or however badly and unfairly gay people have been treated by the church, whatever our 'totalitolerant' secular society says the Bible teaches that homosexuality is not permitted just as fornication or adultery is not permitted. Marriage is not a solution since it is exclusively the union of one man and one woman for life.

      Traditionalists and Evangelicals cannot be moved from this fundamental position. It is part of who God has made us and we too should be listened to and not demonised. It is us now who are fearful of candidly yet politely expressing our views for we hear the baying hunt closing in on us day by day.

      Gay people were badly treated, vilified and excluded that is without doubt but to re-manufacture the received moral teaching of scripture is not the answer. This is compounded when the solution looks like the persecution of people with exactly the same views as the great saints and divines of the church held from antiquity.

      Delete
  5. Llandaff Pewster8 February 2017 at 16:23

    With apologies to Ancient Briton for being off topic, I thought this titbit would be of general interest to anyone who wonders where their money goes in these times of austerity.

    https://www.adzuna.co.uk/jobs/details/499178542?v=745C90D33ED02B78F2AAE52E024650F79D5EB7C2&se=bLNmzzYgS7qiK6Jg8R721g&nid=7194130

    Head of Human Resources

    Cardiff - c.£60,000 - THE CHURCH IN WALES

    With its 900 parishes and 6 Dioceses, the Church in Wales is a Province of great contrasts, with prominent agriculture and village life, cities which have grown to become major commercial centres and a country with a number of world class universities. The Church touches all aspects of life through the work of its lay and ordained leaders and volunteers, based in every community in Wales. Since the publication of a wide-ranging review of the Church in 2012, major reform is in progress. Our people are at the heart of this reform and our new Head of Human Resources will be crucially involved in helping change to happen successfully.

    This is a role for someone with considerable previous experience at HR Manager or Head of HR level in generalist human resources work, including dispute resolution, staff training, pensions and health and safety, together with demonstrable experience of influencing and delivering organisational and cultural change. We are also looking for expertise in leading and developing high performing teams with strong management skills and competence. An outstanding communicator, you will have the clear ability to work with and influence office holders, employed staff and volunteers.

    Our new Head of Human Resources will lead robustly and inspire others to step out of their comfort zone, will recruit, develop and inspire our people and work with our many stakeholders with confidence and sensitivity. As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will contribute to the development of strategy, act as a trusted counsellor to our Bishops and, with sympathy with the mission and ministry of the Church, you will be eager to help build its future.

    This is a demanding but rewarding role based in Cardiff and is a unique chance to play your part in helping transform the life of the Church in Wales for future generations.

    For more information and to apply, please visit our website by clicking apply quoting reference GSe30781.

    Closing date: 5pm Wednesday 1st March 2017.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would have thought £60K is the going rate for a good HR person - I'm married to a Head of HR who works for a national company and he earns £125K. He's gay though, so mentally unstable and therefore creepy - I doubt he'll be applying.

    ReplyDelete
  7. From Miriam (Sorry Miriam your comment was deleted in error - AB):
    Average Sunday attendance in bully boy --Bazza's sinking ship is now around 28,000.
    1.7% of 28,000 should mean a total of around 476 LGBTQIA individuals in the whole of the Church in Wales.
    I have no difficulty believing there are that many in the clergy alone but still the 'gay' community drone on about how they are mistreated or under represented?
    The numbers just don't stand up to scrutiny and many of us are sick of the bleating.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Can you wonder why the parents of the children of Bala don't want that St Asaph lot to have automatic seats on the Board of Governors of their new school? Er mwyn ein plant - Arglwydd trugarha !

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  10. What utter arrogance in the advert for the new head of human resources! Is this a new post or has the old one left?
    "stakeholders".....really?????
    Far reaching review, ha ha ha ha ha ha.
    Change of culture..............really away from Christianity to what?
    Isn't it time we stopped taking on people in office jobs, as we will need to lay them all off soon with massive payouts?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quite so Danny.

      Have you seen the latest RB accounts for 2015?

      http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends13/0001142813_AC_20151231_E_C.pdf

      You'll see on page 48 that the losses at St Michelle's College for Conferences, Hot Air and Twaddle increased from £206,000 for 2014 to £304,000 for 2015.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  11. HR is a profession created from the ashes of the much more sensible personnel role which supported managers rather than lording it over them. Complete waste of money without a doubt.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Possibly a job for the Canon residing at the White House on Llandaff Green. After all he was in HR before being ordained.

    ReplyDelete
  13. WOW, imagine that - joke, surely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Terrible idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quite right, that's a dreadful prospect.
      It's only due to the Canon Residentiary that Llandaff is still afloat and we can't afford to lose him, he's the only one who does any meaningful work.
      When Holcombe chooses to retire, the dead loss Dean will be revealed for the idle sham he is.

      Delete
    2. Looking forward and cannot wait for Holcombe's retirement party!!! Gerwyn would then be able to excel.

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    3. I agree ... does Gerwyn no favours that one. And tedious preacher.

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    4. Give me Gerwyn's sermons any time. At least they are interesting. Alas, not so for Holcombe.

      Delete
  14. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    Replies
    1. Threepenny, you asked why a comment about your friend who felt bullied had been deleted. You will appreciate that allegations about third parties present particular difficulties for moderators and should be avoided (see introduction).

      Delete