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| Christine Hardman Bishop of Newcastle in the House of Lords Source: BBC News |
BBC News reports that the Right Reverend Christine Hardman is to step down as Bishop of Newcastle on 30 November.
"The 70-year-old said great progress had been made in achieving equal rights for men and women in the church leadership. However, Mrs Hardman said there was still a lot of work to do to make the church more diverse.
From The London Economic: "Feminist theologian Dr Niamh M. Middleton, author of new book Jesus and Women: Beyond Feminism, says that the Roman Catholic Church will lose all its female practitioners within two decades, and will become extinct within a generation, unless it takes urgent steps to address inherent gender-based discrimination.
"The church does feel like a different place now and it's not about women's rights, it's about men and women being equally represented in the leadership of the church she said."
Equality, diversity and parity have far more to do with secular ambitions for so-called women's rights than for spreading the faith as received.
"The Roman Catholic church will become ‘women-free’ in Britain and Ireland within 20 years and die out completely within a generation unless it reverses its “sexist and unbiblical” policy that only men can become priests and bishops, a leading academic and theologian has warned.
"Worshippers are already said to be turning their backs on Catholicism “in their droves” in response to its views on women’s rights, LGBT rights and contraception."
A review of Dr Middleton's book in The European put it this way:
'Challenging gender inequality in the Church' it 'dissects institutional sexism within the Church, and outlines how women must lead the way in restoring gender equality'.
The review continues: "Christianity is in crisis, with congregations continuing to fall away both within the Catholic and Protestant Churches. One of the main issues remains the institutional sexism found within Church hierarchies. This discrimination, which finds its apex in the Catholic Church’s prohibition of female ordination, alienates women, leading to them and their families abandoning the pews."
Feminists start from the presumption that institutional sexism exists in the Church but they use secular criteria to achieve their secular aims. It is that which puts Christianity in crisis
In the UK and abroad, where feminist principles have been allowed to influence the direction of the Church it has been downhill thereafter.
Postscript [23.11.2021]
No change there then! The complete feminist package. They should be campaigning for Christ not using His name to advance their secular cause.
"Christianity is in crisis, with congregations continuing to fall away both within the Catholic and Protestant Churches."
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly the case in some parts of the world and in many local contexts here, though my own impression over what by now is a rather long life is that the reasons for the decline in western Europe are many, and that dissatisfaction around the role of women in the church isn't by any means the leading one.
I'd only say that the Anglican church lost me by teaching me one set of things when I was an enquirer in my teenage years, and then asserting quite the opposite by the time I'd hit middle age. I remembered James 1:8!
Dr. Niamh M. Middleton says that the policy that only men can become priests and bishops is “sexist and unbiblical”? What bible is she reading?
ReplyDeleteObviously does not believe Matthew ch 16
ReplyDeleteOne less rabid Feminazi can only be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteIn today's Times her hair is silver unlike in this photo. Has she gone white overnight - at the thought of losing her ability to oversee her see?
ReplyDeleteThe Bishop of St Davids is back on line taking the office (very reverently); a pity about her opinions.
ReplyDeleteShe does not appear to be going any time soon. Suggestions that she is simply waiting a few weeks to boost her pension appear to be wishful thinking based upon no firm evidence.
Rob
DodoJo is incapable of doing the decent thing.
DeleteI have yet to hear of any resignations from Parish officers, in protest at her remaining in post, either.
I wonder if they’ve asked her to stick around so they can elect an Archbishop soon, rather than having to wait 6 months while they appoint a new bishop of St Davids first. Here’s hoping anyway - could be gone in the new year.
DeleteMr. E.
Or Could It be the people in her diocese agree with her Remarks or just don't care and want to move on from Twitter!
DeleteDai
Indeed, Dai - and she's been proved right hasn't she in recent weeks. Cash for questions, second jobs that detract from MP's main purpose to help constituents, the same old sleaze. 'Never trust a Tory' seems a very mild tweet indeed. More and more people have come to agree with her, a few don't care and a minority know she's right and so made a fuss to detract from the truth.
DeleteAgree-with-Dai
Of course, sleaze and expenses scandals are only limited to the Tories, right?
DeleteOh no, just a moment, what about Keith Vaz, his cocaine parties and male prostitutes?
Remind me please, on what Parliamentary Committees did he sit?
And I seem to recall that MPs of all parties had their snouts in the trough of their expenses scandal.
But let's not let a few inconvenient truths get in the way of a one-sided point of view.
As far as I am concerned, Dominic Cummings is just as despicable (for his trip to Durham Castle) as Jeremy Corbyn (partaking of a dinner for 9 during the rule of 6) and the SNP MP (that tested positive and then went from Scotland to London and back by train).
Never, never, never trust a Politician and never, never, never trust a Bishop.
As for a Bishop who's a Politician? My suggestion is not for polite company.
Oh, well said, Mary! Never trust a cleric who is a party politician - well, hardly ever.
DeleteRob
"Not only must the Vatican revoke its position on female priests, but it should also install more women than men in positions of authority. This, says Dr Middleton, should be on a temporary basis so that women can guide the reform of institutional Catholicism to the point that equal male and female authority within the Church is established."
ReplyDeleteShe is now urging the Pope to establish an international panel of female theologians to produce a clear roadmap for the Church’s future.
Here in Sweden, we already have a female Archbishop and majority of priests are women. Church of Sweden is now a feminist institution. I don't think the Catholic Church will be able to hold out much longer either, especially as women continue to gain more power in Western society.
But are the churches now full in Sweden? Have people turned to Christ and been saved as a result?
DeleteSwedes ‘least likely in Western Europe’ to go to church.
Deletehttps://www.thelocal.se/20180531/swedes-least-likely-in-western-europe-to-go-to-church/
9% hey?
DeleteSounds like a roaring success in comparison to the 0.1% regularly attending Sunday services at the Cult in Wales!
His --Darkness would have given his right testicle for a 9% turnout 😂😂😂
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59400539
DeleteSounds to me as though the Church in Sweden is about as stable as its Prime Minister.
🤣
This morning the Today Programme announced that the funeral of the late David Ames would take place today at Westminster Cathedral, when Cardinal Nichols would celebrate a mass as a memorial to the murdered MP. Knowing Nichols as I do, I'm sure that what he will do is celebrate a mass as a memorial of Him who died upon the cross and in suffrage for the repose of the MP's soul. Meanwhile I wonder how the shameless DoDoJo will mark the burial of one she once called lower than vermin (quoting her favourite Labour politician.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Dr Middleton, being an Irish academic, puts quite so much trust in women to reform the RC church - it was after all, women who ran the Magdalene laundries, not something the Irish are likely to forget or forgive in a hurry.