Decline in the Church continues

 

Pope Francis takes advice from the Archbishop of Canterbury                                   Source: Twitter

       

OK. I get it. Theology and tradition are now thought irrelevant.

Women are allowed to become deacons. Then you bend to secular claims of discrimination and misogyny and allow female deacons to be ordained priests.

People get used to seeing women at the altar so you have to agree that it is unfair if women priests are not allowed to be bishops.

So obvious. Why didn't Jesus Christ think of this?

Women Religious, Women Deacons Q&A: What about ordained women religious?

Postscript [24.01.2021]

Bishop Schneider shows why instituting women as lectors, acolytes is a huge problem

Finding faith

In this video published on Nov 8, 2018 the Bishop of St Davids, Joanna Penberthy, was the first to testify in a series of videos that describe how senior members of the St Davids diocesan clergy "came to discover the faith that sustains them."

When Penberthy was elected the former Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan said of the 'election', “This is an historic moment for the Church in Wales as it hasn’t been possible to elect a woman bishop until now. But what is really important to stress is that Joanna wasn’t elected because she was a woman but because she was deemed to be the best person to be a bishop. She has considerable gifts – she is an excellent preacher and communicator, can relate to all sections of the community, is a warm, charismatic, caring priest and someone who is full of joy."

The election was widely regarded as a political fix.

In her December 2018 Ad Clerum bishop Penberthy wrote:

"We are not called to persuade people of the truth of our particular religious

opinions so as to feel better as we surround ourselves with those who agree with us. We

are called to be communities of flawed people, open to the healing love of God that we

might live that truthful open-eyed healing love admidst [sic] “the present form of this world

that is passing away.” (I Cor 7:31)."

The bishops have certainly surrounded themselves with people who agree with them - to the exclusion of faithful Anglicans who were promised an honoured place in the Church but abandoned after archbishop Morgan and his bench sitters achieved their objective of turning the Church in Wales into a club for liberal, like minded people.

Contrary to what bishop Penberthy claims, there is only one way to the Father, through Jesus Christ, not through other gods, paganism and witchcraft.

Jesus charged His disciples, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Today, Anglican bishops write their own version of the Gospel message.

Postscript [09/01/2019]

Church of England bishops out of touch with clergy:

Oxford diocese in meltdown as clergy reject bishops' view on sexuality

Bishops' legacy

"Brilliant MAECymru net-working lunch hosted by +Joanna & St David’s Diocese group on Saturday."
Source: Twitter @StaryMallard

This Tweet well illustrates the driving ambition of bishops in the Church in Wales today.

The fruits of a drive by theologically inept bishops to follow fashionable trends in society, putting their own spin in scripture and tradition. .

High on their list of priorities is their campaign for same sex marriage.

Do not be deceived.

They do not represent the remaining devout women and men in the pews.

Over the centuries faithful women have kept their heads down, praying to the Father as His Son taught us to pray.

They are appalled by the 'babies by baster' culture supported by  feminist organisations which regard children as an entitlement, denying them a normal family life, nurtured by a father and a mother as God intended.

When feminists demand that God be referred to as 'she', they mean a woman in their own image.

God help us!

Archbishops favour Islam over believers in the catholic faith

The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, listens as the Archbishop of Canterbury speaks during discussions at Lambeth Palace.  Sources: ACNS/Twitter

Writing in the New Statesman in 2009 their senior editor (politics) Mehdi Hasan wrote, "Jesus, or Isa, as he is known in Arabic, is deemed by Islam to be a Muslim prophet rather than the Son of God, or God incarnate."

Islam teaches that Jesus was not crucified so there could have been no resurrection. From 1 Corinthians, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." (15:14)

Hasan was involved in a controversy when during a sermon he quoted a verse of the Koran. Hasan said to an audience: "The kuffar, the disbelievers, the atheists who remain deaf and stubborn to the teachings of Islam, the rational message of the Koran; they are described in the Koran as “a people of no intelligence”, Allah describes them as not of no morality, not as people of no belief – people of “no intelligence” – because they’re incapable of the intellectual effort it requires to shake off those blind prejudices, to shake off those easy assumptions about this world, about the existence of God. In this respect, the Koran describes the atheists as “cattle”, as cattle of those who grow the crops and do not stop and wonder about this world."

Hasan's comments have a particular resonance when reading the ACNS article Archbishop of Canterbury hosts Grand Imam for religious leadership talks.

It is not difficult to find references to Islam's attitude towards Jesus Christ, nor is it difficult to find Islam's views on homosexuality (a 'disease'), apostasy (a crime punishable by death) and feminism (the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man). Dr Jules Gomes writes extensively on the differences between Islam and Christianity in his 'Rebel Priest' blog.

Dr Gomes concludes, "Here’s what Welby actually said: ‘Thank you Grand Imam of @AlAzharUniv for an honest and hope-filled conversation about the role of religious leaders in our world today. And thanks to our Christian and Muslim #EmergingPeacemakers for your challenging questions and inspiring contributions.’

 "Could it be that Sheikh al Tayyeb has been giving Justin Welby a masterclass in taqiyyah, the Islamic practice of dissimulation, which permits Muslims to lie to infidels? Or, could it be the other way round, with the Archbishop of Canterbury giving the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar a one-to-one drill in the use of Anglican double-speak and weasel words? "

The Archbishop of Wales has been keen to defend Muslims while completely disregarding the plight of Anglicans who have become marginalised because of they remain committed to the beliefs of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

The Archbishop of Wales supporting a community event arranged by the Muslim Council of Wales
on Tuesday, April 3, as a stand against the ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ campaign.      Source: CinW

A provincial press release reported that archbishop John Davies rightly described the ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ campaign as an incitement to hatred and discrimination. There can be no complaints about that. Muslims who are victims of Islamic teaching need to be brought to Christ but how can the bench justify more concern for Muslims who deny Christ crucified than for Anglicans whose belief in the catholic creeds has led to their exclusion?

The new Archbishop of Wales is following in the footsteps of his predecessor. "More of the same - but faster" What a sad commentary!

Postscript [22.07.2018]

Candidate of Imran Khan's party killed in bombing days before Pakistan election
Source: REUTERS/Stringer/Twitter

The latest from the Pakistan elections.

"A candidate from the party of Pakistan prime ministerial hopeful and former cricket star Imran Khan was killed on Sunday in a suicide attack that wounded four others, a police official said, days before Wednesday’s general elections.

"The attack in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa follows a series of bombings at political rallies before the election, the most devastating of which was a suicide attack this month that killed 149 people."

 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-election-attack/candidate-of-pakistani-political-party-killed-in-suicide-attack-at-rally-idUSKBN1KC0DM?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5b54974704d30119d1292ee4&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

What is it that is so attractive about Islam? Their blasphemy laws? Their second-class treatment of women? It can't be the burning of Christian churches and slaughtering of the innocent so it must be ignorance.

Check out Egypt and the plight of the Copts, Iran, Saudi Arabia. How much evidence do people need to convince them that Islam is a supremacist, political ideology that will use every trick in the book to gain dominance?

Par for the course

The Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) reports that a Welsh television drama advisor is to become Director of Formation for Licensed Ministry for St Padarn’s Institute, the dumbed-down training arm of the Church in Wales.

The Revd Canon Dr Manon Ceridwen James worked as adviser on S4C’s drama Parch "a popular television drama about a female vicar in rural Wales", as if the Vicar of Dibley hasn't already done enough damage. She has been appointed to oversee the training of all licensed ministers in the country.

Canon James is the author of Women, Identity and Religion in Wales, a book on Welsh feminist theology which must be music to the ears of the bench sitters. 

She described her new role as “an exceptional opportunity for me to play a part in growing lay and ordained ministers who will equip our churches to serve our communities and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.”

What feminism has to do with the good news of Jesus Christ is unlikely to be discussed. Just taken as a given.

Protesters aiding the spread of Islam

Source: The Conservative Papers

If you think the claim on the placard (above) is ridiculous, think again. Many Muslims are working hard to ensure that not only Britain but that ALL countries are governed by Sharia law which is already offering "rough justice" for Muslim women "in the shadow of British law".

“Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man” said Aristotle. A practice put to good use by many but one which can be dangerous. The Trojan Horse scandal in Birmingham schools will be familiar to most people in the UK but there have been other worrying reports. In 2005 Muslim schools were accused of anti-Christian chanting in assemblies. The Christian Institute said that Ofsted and the Department for Education were not taking proper action to deal with some Islamic schools accused of bullying Christian pupils.

The Institute's director said it was "striking" that several official reports outlining examples of Muslim "intolerance" to Christians had gone ignored by Ofsted. "You will see they include anti-Christian chanting in assemblies, GCSE pupils who opted to learn Christianity being left to teach themselves, and Christians being called 'ignorant' or 'liars' by teachers," he wrote.

By comparison new figures have revealed that Muslim pupils outnumber Christian children in more than 30 church schools. One Church of England (CofE) primary school has a '100 per cent Muslim population'. In another 98 per cent of students are reported to come from a Muslim background and another has a 90 per cent Muslim population.

Their treatment is entirely different. The report refers to one CofE school where most of the children are Muslims. They begin each day with a school 'worship' recognising the place God in their lives. But which God? A vengeful god of fear who demands submission, the meaning of Islam, or the loving God of truth who sent Jesus Christ into the world bringing love and forgiveness to all prepared to listen.

In a CofE school where most pupils are Muslim, 'all children follow a course of Religious Education and observe both Christian and Muslim Festivals'. This is a fundamental to the problems facing Christians. Immigration and higher birth rates, added to by an estimated 20,000 polygamous marriages in the British Muslim community, is resulting in the growth of Islam while Christianity is waning. As many Christians desert the Church in despair of the leadership, Islam is treated with almost servile respect as a religion on a par with Christianity when in reality it is a supremacist ideology which threatens our way of life having been founded by a man who according to the Bible must be a false prophet.

As the Rev Jules Gomes put it in The Conservative Woman, 'Christian shepherds side with the Islamist wolf'. Not just Christian shepherds. Visiting Finsbury Park mosque during its open day, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn challenged the “demonisation” of Muslims and sent a message to Donald Trump that “drinking tea together is far more effective than pouring concrete to build walls to keep each other apart”.

Whatever Mr Corbyn thinks of President Trump his remarks betray a complete lack of understanding of the perils Islam present. Muslims may drink tea with non-Muslims when they are a minority but it is entirely different for non-Muslims, and for Muslims in minority sects, in Islamic countries.

Christians are being persecuted in Muslim countries around the world while church leaders and politicians prefer to take tea with followers of a faith which not only sanctions but encourages religious persecution and has done for 1400 years. Two recent examples. 'Fifteen Christian Women Raped By Muslim Mob In 'Revenge Attack' For Pastor Overseeing Conversions' (here) and 'Christians In Turkey: Attacked, Deported And Seen As A 'Threat Against National Security' (here).

The latest insult to British values occurred when a gang of UK Muslim men "systematically groomed" Rotherham teenagers. When they were convicted of crimes including rape, indecent assault and false imprisonment the sex abusers shouted 'Allahu Akbar' - 'Allah is Greater'. There was no mention of Muslims or Islam in the report, Neither was there in the BBC news report that I saw.

According a report here, "almost 90 % of all rapes and child grooming in the UK that was committed by Pakistani’s, resulted in a white girl under 16 being abused... Abduction and rape of young ‘kuffar’ (non-Muslim) children by Islamic Paedophile gangs is commonplace in areas near Muslim ghettoes in Britain."

While such behaviour is not be typical of all Muslims, it should signal the profound difference between an ideology in which followers are permitted to see such action against non-believers as being justified. This contrasts sharply with the 'love thy neighbour' movement where tolerance of others is permitted, even to the point of destruction of our own culture and values.

The Open Society movement in the US which has seen hordes of placard waving protesters demanding an end to immigration controls. That is not to say that I think Trump has approached the problem of 'dodgy' immigrants in a well-thought strategy but such protests used to be common in Europe until the penny dropped. The mood changed in Germany when 'Thousands took to the streets to protest Germany’s immigration policy following week of bloody violence'.

The Pew Research Centre says that the World’s Muslim population is 'more widespread than you might think'. The Centre estimates that by 2050 the number of Muslims worldwide will grow from an estimated 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.76 billion, or 29.7% of world’s population.

Jeremy Corbyn is one of many who succumbed to the Muslim charm offensive in the UK Mosque open day when "hundreds of Islamic centres across the country" welcomed visitors. Hundreds of people visited Finsbury Park mosque, which "gained notoriety as a centre of radical Islam in the late 1990s when the Egyptian cleric Abu Hamza became its imam". It is claimed that in 2005, the mosque underwent a change of leadership and is now considered "a model of community relations".

That may be so but the reverse is true when there us a Muslim majority in countries abroad:

 London mosque                                                                         Source; Guardian

Church in Turkey   Source: Christian Aid Mission

Whether the 'scales fall from their eyes' or not, one thing is clear. Christians have a duty to spread the Gospel, not to affirm other religions as if they were on a par with Christianity.

Islam has no problem denouncing Christians for believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, crucified, dead and buried. Christians should have no problem in recognising false prophets and must be prepared to say so.

Queen's speech 2014

Should we be surprised at the headline, Queen beats Archbishop of Canterbury as ‘most moral leader’ in new poll?

HM The Queen: "For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life.

A role model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people, of whatever faith or none." You can read the Queen's speech 2014 in full here.

The Bishop of Buckingham (for example): "The Church of England is still guilty of “serious institutional homophobia” and has yet to overcome “inertia and ignorance” towards same-sex couples, an Anglican bishop has claimed. Alan Wilson, the bishop of Buckingham, praised gay members of the clergy for showing “considerable courage and determination” as they fight deeply ingrained prejudices to marry. “In very few years people will wonder what the fuss was all about,” the bishop says in a Christmas sermon for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community recorded for Pink News. He adds: “But for now it’s a path that calls for considerable courage and determination. So please spare a thought this Christmas for them." Full article here.

If the Bishop of Buckingham wants a proper example of “considerable courage and determination” he need only look to the 'Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England'. One can only imagine what the Queen must be thinking with all that is going on in the Church of England and in Government especially when the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 received Royal Assent.

The Bishop of Buckingham is not a lone voice in the Anglican Church. Rather, he reflects the move away from liturgy to a particular view of social justice which relegates worship almost to an optional extra and "Christ’s example" is distorted to justify just about any secular fancy. One has only to look at the fate * of the Episcopal Church (TEC) for an example of how this trend develops into litigation and dilution of the faith resulting in a church in name only:

"Why is the Anglican Church in North America growing (now over 110,000) while TEC is in decline? Why has ACNA overtaken the Anglican Church of Canada in Average Sunday Attendance? It's all about the message - one of the transforming love of Jesus Christ to all sinners. There is almost no difference in the way a TEC parish functions from that of an ACNA parish. A visitor would see no discernible difference in worship forms, liturgy (though there is a greater use of the 1928 Prayer Book in ACNA parishes). The difference is what is proclaimed from the pulpit each Sunday. Preaching endless sermons about inclusion, diversity, the joys of pansexuality, the need for women priests/bishops, the Five Marks of Mission, MDGs and a whole host of so-called hot button issues does not change lives just opinions and not always that. TEC needs to radically rethink who they want as next generation priests. Second career aging lesbians won't cut it."

All is not gloom in the Church of England. Part of the package which saw the appointment of the first woman bishop included 'broad church' provision so that Evangelicals and Anglo Catholics have the opportunity to prosper.

Not so in the Church in Wales. Their bishops proposed legislation that would have made statutory provision for those opposed to the ordination of women on grounds of conscience but this was swiftly dropped after a successful plot by the devious Archdeacon of Llandaff and her sidekick the Area Dean of Llandaff which enabled the bench sitters to do as instructed by their unscrupulous Archbishop.

Looking at the success of ACNA and the failure of TEC it is not difficult to see why Dr Morgan stamps out any opposition to his view of Anglicanism. So much so that one has to wonder what is "an inspiration and an anchor" in his life. Where did Dr Morgan come in the 'most moral leader' poll? So far, I have been unable to find any reference to him!

* Update (30/12/2014)
See also here, an interview with Fr. George Rutler, pastor of the Church of St. Michael in New York City .

Do this in remembrance of me

For those who do not understand, this is why it matters to believers.

WARNING: This video shows harrowing images of the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus 

Maundy Thursday

Last week I added details of work on a mosaic by iconographer, Aidan Hart. This led me to some equally amazing singing by a relatively small church choir sampled in the video above. I find their singing all the more poignant as the noise of the altar and sanctuary being striped is accompanied by noise of every day life going on outside the church. Passers by will be ignorant of the drama taking place inside, much as it must have been when Jesus prayed, but now they will see this "All-powerful" image of Christ drawing them to Himself:

God Save the Queen!

Before I set off with my wife to spend Christmas with family I read an advance report of what the retiring Archbishop of Canterbury would say in his final Christmas sermon as Archbishop. My heart sank. I comforted myself with the thought that the headline remark may have been taken out of context. But no, in his sermon there was indeed another dig at those accused of damaging the credibility of the church in the vote over women bishops. The Archbishop added: "Faith is not about what public opinion decides, and it is not about how we happen to be feeling about ourselves. It is the response people make to what presents itself as a reality – a reality which makes claims on you". You can listen to his remarks here and make of them what you will but this part of his sermon is clear enough: In the deeply painful aftermath of the Synod’s vote last month, what was startling was how many people who certainly wouldn’t have said yes to the census question [referred to at the beginning of his sermon] turned out to have a sort of investment in the Church, a desire to see the Church looking credible and a real sense of loss when—as they saw it—the Church failed to sort its business out.

I interpreted Rowan's contorted departing message as meaning that while "Faith is not about what public opinion decides" people outside the church have some sort of investment in the church which they desire to see looking credible. In other words, they have no real interest in the church and support her even less but public opinion in its ignorance is a useful tool which conveniently 'supports' the view that Rowan and his entourage are correct on the question of women bishops while the rest of us, including the much larger universal church of East and West, are wrong and simply don't understand Jesus properly.

In the 'women bishops at any cost' campaign, the Queen's position as 'Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England' has been tossed into the debate to justify the call for women bishops with remarks such as: "The queen is the head of the Church of England; if the Queen can head the Church of England why can't we have female bishops". This shows either a lamentable ignorance of the Church of England and of the priesthood itself or it is an attempt to influence those outside the church who feel that they have some sort of an investment in the church which entitles them to an opinion on the faith of people who are being unfairly criticised by their own clergy.

It was most heartening therefore to watch the Queen's traditional Christmas Day broadcast. Her Majesty delivered a simple Christian message that could be readily understood by all with the words: "This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son 'to serve, not to be served'. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others. The carol, 'In the Bleak Midwinter', ends by asking a question of all of us who know the Christmas story, of how God gave himself to us in humble service: 'What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part'. The carol gives the answer, 'Yet what I can I give him – give my heart'." 

A clear simple message to live by Christ's example, not from a priest but from one who clearly understands the meaning of 'to serve, not to be served'. Something that the laity recognises but which has been largely forgotten by the clergy in their quest to see the Church of England relegated to the status of a Protestant sect.

Respect!

So the bishops have capitulated. What little comfort was left for traditionalists in the Church of England opposed on theological grounds to the ordination of women has been watered down to one word: Respect. Archbishop Rowan says ‘Respect’ means taking somebody else in their own terms; letting them define what they believe, what they think, who they are. It means trying to find a settlement that allows them to recognise in whatever emerges that their views have been taken seriously. Archbishop Rowan may very well think that but few have the capacity of His Grace for treating their opponents with the same respect. Across the border in the Church in Wales even their Archbishop has difficulty in showing respect for those he disagrees with and far from 'taking somebody else in their own terms; letting them define what they believe, what they think', he obstinately refuses even to appoint a replacement Provincial Assistant Bishop preferring to tell traditionalists what they must accept while, tomorrow, making another bid to allow women to be ordained into the episcopate on his own terms in his vanishing church. 

Consider also the attitude already displayed in England by proponents of the ordination of women in the Church and in Parliament - "No promises were broken, says GRAS" and "Essentially everyone knew that when you had the ordination of women as priests that this would lead to the ordination of women bishops after a decent length of pause. Some would say it has now been an indecent length of pause" said Peter Bottomley. Where is there any evidence of respect? When the House of Bishops proposed an amendment to the legislation which would have "strengthened somewhat the provision for the minority, in the hope that this would allow people in the minority to feel that their position was respected, that they were allowed to flourish, and that they were welcome in the Church of England" Women and the Church (WATCH) found it "deeply offensive " claiming that the vision of women as bishops, and the dignity and security of the position of women when they were ordained as bishops would be undermined.

So what is in a word? Personally I find it offensive to be branded as one of those "whose consciences gave them difficulties with the idea of women as bishops, and would find it difficult to receive their ministry." I would have no difficulty with the concept of women bishops or of receiving their ministry if it were simply a matter of debate or if it were accepted throughout the Church Catholic but it cannot be for the simple reason that in conscience we remain faithful to Christ's example rather than synodical persuasion. Whatever arguments are advanced in support of the ordination of women they can only be opinions not supported by historical fact. They condemn Jesus as a failure for being a captive of His time in not appointing women Apostles but in an age when there were numerous priestesses, Christ showed us a new way which honoured men and women equally, different but complementary. What is difficult about that?



To be joined together

Male and female, made for each other, bonding together for a purpose. Whether you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he was a philosopher or just a perceptive Rabbi, this is the definition of marriage most people understand:

³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^{[a] 5} and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b]? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19: 3-6. 
Footnotes: [a] Matthew 19:4 Gen. 1:27 [b] Matthew 19:5 Gen. 2:24

Joining together male and female is what defines marriage, be it metal, wood or human flesh. Two males or two females may 'bond' in terms of human affection but so does a mother and her child or a person may express love for their pet but that does not, indeed can not, lead to marriage. Claims that same sex couples are discriminated against because they are not allowed to marry are absurd. They have equal rights under civil partnership legislation which puts them on equal basis with heterosexual couples but by definition they cannot be joined together in marriage. Some have suggested that if they were allowed to marry their union would be no different to the union of a heterosexual couple unable to have children. That is as bogus as it is unkind. But it goes further than that. The 'want it all' mentality extends to same sex couples expecting to have children by one means or another regardless of the cost to the child or the claimed heartbreak because a child 'has no mother' when clearly he must have.

Manipulation is the name of the game. This article lists the six ways homosexual activists manipulate public opinion:

• Exploit the “victim” status;
• Use the sympathetic media;
• Confuse and neutralize the churches;
• Slander and stereotype Christians;
• Bait and switch (hide their true nature); and
• Intimidation.

The Anglican church knows all about 'Confuse and neutralize the churches' and 'Slander and stereotype Christians', particularly in England and Wales where US liberalism has spread like a rash losing the bond of trust that existed in our once broad church. Remember how traditionalists were promised an honoured place in the church, how civil partnerships didn't mean gay marriage? No more. Tolerance of minorities has become intolerance by minorities but whatever they say, they cannot redefine what it means is to be male and female.  

You don't have to be religious to oppose same-sex marriage, just rational.

“There is no place for you in this church.”

The Very Rev Jeremy Winston
 Dean Of Monmouth Sept to Nov 2011

Not as they would have intended but nevertheless they have had their way. The purple-obsessed, mean-spirited women who, not content with being ordained into the sacred ministry, complained bitterly about the appointment of a traditionalist, Canon Jeremy Winston, to the post of Dean of Monmouth. Another has been appointed in his place, one who, according to reports, shares the view that traditionalists can take what is offered or leave the church. Fr Jeremy was regarded as unacceptable despite his manifest talents because he did not accept the fashionable view that the priesthood can be re-defined by committee. So here was a priest who stood head and shoulders above many, including the Bench of Bishops, who had been told: “There is no place for you in this church” as if it were their church, a church that has become dominated by those who delude themselves into thinking that after 2,000 years, they know the mind of God better than Jesus Christ.


Dean Jeremy was held in such high esteem outside the church hierarchy that the Service of Thanksgiving held on Saturday (January 21) in St Mary's Priory Church, Abergavenny, witnessed a congregation in excess of 800 led by the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent representing HRH The Prince of Wales. (Prince Charles had twice visited St Mary's to open projects initiated by Fr Jeremy when Vicar.) Attendance was limited only by space with every nook and cranny of the Priory Church occupied, as was Fr Jeremy's funeral service in St Woolos Cathedral where the congregation overflowed into chapels and outside, with a broadcast link to St Mary's in Abergavenny.

How often have we heard that the talents of women should not be overlooked as justification for them standing at the altar in persona Christi yet Fr Jeremy's obvious talents had been ignored until it became clear to all but the blinkered and prejudiced that he was without doubt the best candidate to be appointed Dean of Monmouth following the departure to St Helena of the now Bishop Richard Fenwick. In addition to his many pastoral and personal gifts which were frequently referred to at the Service of Thanksgiving for his life [in the link go to January 21, 2012], Fr Jeremy held many Appointments, some of which appeared in the Order of Service:

• Regional Chaplain to the Order of St John
• Chairman of the Standing Liturgical Advisory Commission
• Past Chairman of the Gwent Medical Ethics Board
• Past Chairman of the Additional Curates Society
• Governor of several schools, often acting as Chairman
• Chairman of Father Ignatius Memorial trust
• Member of the Executive Committee of the Friends of Friendless Churches,
• Long-standing member and chairman of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales

 Listening to the many moving tributes to Fr Jeremy, those on the Bench of Bishops present must have sat rather uncomfortably since they are 'of one mind' on the ordination of women, ie, their Archbishop's. Bishop David Thomas was the last and only bishop appointed to care for traditionalists. The position was dropped following his retirement with unforeseen consequences for the planned ordination of women to the episcopate. Bishop David and Lord Rowe-Beddoe referred directly to the issue. In his tribute Bishop David said, "I for one shall never forget his courage in proposing and championing the so-called ‘Kirk-Winston amendment’ to the draft legislation on women in the episcopate in 2008." Lord Rowe-Beddoe went further. He said, "As a staunch traditionalist, Jeremy was appointed to a small panel of the Governing Body which drafted a Bill for the appointment of women bishops in 2009. His amendment, which called for the reappointment of a provincial assistant bishop, was defeated. It has been widely acknowledged that the defeat of this amendment contributed greatly to the defeat of the Bill itself at that time. He was always unfailingly courteous to those who did not share his views, even when some told him that “there is no place for you in this church”.

It would be a fitting tribute to Fr Jeremy if those who think that traditionalists have no place in the church reap their reward and see Synod and the Governing Body now bury the move that will separate us from the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Is Jesus Christ God incarnate or not?

Why are there so many religions?  Are they all the same? 

These questions were asked by an 'ex-biologist' after a discussion at Canterbury Cathedral on 16th September when the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, met comedian, writer and broadcaster Frank Skinner for an "in-depth exchange of views on the state of Christianity today". Not being the greatest fan of Frank Skinner with his football fanaticism and laddish humour, when I was sent the broadcast link I was inclined to ignore it but fortunately I had much more respect for my correspondent and listened - in stages. I was in for a surprise. I found that I had far more in common with Mr Skinner than I ever could have imagined. He, a lapsed Catholic who had 'returned from the wilderness', reminded me of forgotten days in my youth when, as an Anglican, I lapsed and experienced the same sensation of returning from the wilderness. Some of our views were also remarkably similar although I winced at some of his 'Catholic' comments about Anglicans and Anglicanism. But that is not what inspired this blog entry, it was the answers given to the questions above, particularly the supplementary question, Are they [religions] all the same?

 

I wanted to hear an unequivocal 'No' but I was to be disappointed. Readers may have observed that I am a great admirer of Archbishop Rowan. He cares deeply, even for those with whom he disagrees as witnessed by his efforts to keep the Anglican Communion together against impossible odds but struggling to cause offence to no-one, there was no clear message that there is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ. Yes we can respect the beliefs of others but not in a way that could be taken by the listener to mean that it doesn't really matter what you believe. There are inherent dangers in blanket approval as evidenced by the respect demanded by Islam which will be seen by many as adding credence to their beliefs which, in Christian terms, have to be regarded as mistaken. In the widest sense provided we 'love our neighbour as ourselves' is fine but there are many who do not and failure adequately to proclaim the Gospel message of the Way the Truth and the Life perhaps as well as anything, may explain the state of Christianity today. 

Islamophobia

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phobia /pho·bia/ (fo´be-ah) a persistent, irrational, intense fear of a specific object, activity, or situation (the phobic stimulus), fear that is recognized as being excessive or unreasonable by the individual himself. There is nothing irrational, excessive or unreasonable about the fear of Islam. In her University of Leicester speech today the Tory Party Chairman, Baroness Warsi, raises the now familiar cry of Islamophobia, warning that describing Muslims as either “moderate” or “extremist” fosters growing prejudice. If it is a question of either we would have to choose "extremist" because at the root of the Islamic ideology is a belief that Islam is supreme and that any means, including lying (taqiyya), are legitimate weapons to achieve world domination.


The illustration above may be old but the hideous practice depicted continues today. (Dreadful images can be readily found by 'Googling' if anyone doubts it.) Many web sites raise issues of concern but the response is invariably "Islamophobia!" No-one is suggesting that all Muslims are bad, indeed Lady Warsi is to be congratulated for her support for women in Pakistan where she worked with Pakistan's Ministry of Law on a project to fight forced marriage. What people have a problem with is the ideology.


Islamists protect their religion by reacting to any supposed criticism, even killing Christians for believing that Jesus Christ is not just another prophet as in Islam but God incarnate. Is it less reasonable for Christians and those of other faiths to protect their religion by using the pen rather than the sword?

Another covenant?

The Anglican Communion is taking desperate measures to stitch together something that might be passed off as a silk purse rather than the sow’s ear it has become. When the General Synod meets later this month to discuss the proposed Anglican Covenant, designed to hold together its disparate members with their “constitutional autonomy [in] the Anglican Communion”, they will find that lines have already have been drawn and campaigns organised against it.

As the major churches of East and West strive for unity with signs of [gender neutral] brotherly love, the Anglican Communion persists in pushing itself further and further away pretending that God is for their liberal agenda, necessitating rules for dealing with strife. Gone is the mystery, the tolerance, the ‘love thy neighbour’ of the New Covenant which swept away the hypocrisy of old. In its place we have a secularised, do as you please organisation where faith has given way to political correctness, often self-centred rather than Christ-centred.

An example of how badly things have gone wrong is demonstrated by the Episcopal Church of the United States illustrated in the Anglican Curmudgeon Blog and, closer to the context of the Church of England, by the St Barnabas Blog.

Seeing how Anglicanism is falling apart clearly shows that re-interpreting the Gospel to suit today's lifestyle does not work. This is exemplified by the web site of the CofE's neighbouring Church in Wales, the introductory page of which has much more to do with politics than with religion. “His Darkness” the Archbishop of Wales, a disciple of Mrs Jefferts Schori, frequently claims that he is making the church relevant to society today, blind to the fact that the unchanging mysteries of Orthodoxy and Catholicism have far more relevance outside his little domain. Even unchanging Islam growing in their own backyards fails to convince liberals that they may be mistaken.

Compare these examples of modern day Anglicanism with the timeless teachings of the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Compare traditional faith with the modern difficulties caused of choosing another way. I do not ever remember the Archbishop of Canterbury looking so uncomfortable as he does when he seeks to explain the Anglican Covenant. And with good reason as its main purpose is stated to be how to sort out divisions that have arisen [of their own making Ed]. Archbishop Rowan ends by saying that he hopes the covenant will be a “truly effective tool for witness and mission in our world”.

I wish him success in his endeavour but it must be blindingly obvious that if the Anglican Church had continued to follow the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, there should be no need of another.