Uncomfortable and unwelcome!

The Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan has attracted the admiration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community for his enthusiastic support of their cause. See here and here. A patron of Changing Attitude, when Government proposals for same-sex marriage were being debated he expressed his concern about the welfare of gay people whom he "feared could feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in churches". He said "Christians need to show how the Gospel of Jesus is good news for gay people". Actually the Gospel of Jesus is good news for all people. Gays have no need of a 'marriage' ceremony to prove the point.

The Archbishop has gone out of his way to ensure that this at least is one charge which cannot be leveled against him. A keen supporter of the Cardiff Mardi Gras earlier this year, he will be joining lesbian and gay Christians for a carol service tomorrow, Saturday 7 December, organised by the South Wales Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM).

Within his own diocese the Archbishop is surrounded by members of the LGBT community so one has to wonder why the South Wales LGCM need to gather together for an exclusive carol service. If the body is to be separated why not a service for the disaffected in Llandaff Cathedral followed by a show of hands indicating how uncomfortable and unwelcome they feel under current management?

From a provincial press release here:

Janet Jeffries, spokesperson for LGCM, said, “We are very honoured that the Archbishop has agreed to attend our Christmas Carols at what must be a very busy time of year for him.  We very much appreciate the support he has shown to the lesbian and gay community, both at this event and by opening the Cardiff Mardi Gras earlier this year.”

Archbishop Barry said, “I am delighted to support this carol service. Christmas is a time when we remember that God made all people in his own image and loves us all. Christ was born in a stable to parents who were refugees and he spent his life with those on the fringes of society or who were victimised because of what they were, and challenging those in authority. I think this is still a relevant message for today.”

Ms Jeffries is right. It is a busy time of year for the Archbishop but for all the wrong reasons. Unable to find a new Dean with his Cathedral deep in debt and morale at rock bottom, he spends a disproportionate amount of time satisfying the demands of the queer community - I use the word advisedly since I am reliably informed that in today's lingo, gay means rubbish. But what I find most intriguing is the Archbishop's reference to "challenging those in authority". He says  "I think this is still a relevant message for today."

Reading the many comments following recent blog entries it is clear that the Archbishop needs to heed his own advice.

Dying on the Vine

This short video illustrates how strongly a person in the US identifies with their faith. The percentage of Catholics claiming to be a 'strong' Catholic is at an all time low and only half of those claiming to be strong Catholics claim that they attend mass at least once a week. The blame for this phenomenon is put squarely on the bishops who constantly promote social issues at the expense of spiritual concerns: "The episcopate has acquiesced to nearly every cultural fad you can name" inserting "personal views" instead of "traditional teaching". Many of the clergy "either don't know about the faith or don't care about it". 

For the Catholic Church substitute the Episcopal Church in the United States and Anglican church here in Great Britain and the same basic message applies. Observers could easily be forgiven for thinking that Christianity today is all about sex.

In England the Archbishop of Canterbury has been fretting about his stance on same-sex marriage. He told an audience of traditional born-again Christians that "they must 'repent' over the way gay and lesbian people have been treated in the past and said most young people viewed Christians as no better than racists on the issue". Racist, bigot, homophobic, any label is used to smear fellow Christians who strive to defend the faith against revision. Of course there have been errors in the past but to bend to public opinion at the expense of the Christian faith is demonstrably not the way forward.

Next week the Church in Wales will be revisiting the issue of women bishops. Their Archbishop will once again be banging the gender drum urging his Governing Body to give him a blank cheque to appoint women bishops despite his unwillingness to recognise the not unreasonable desire of members of his own church to be allowed to follow the traditional faith of the Holy Catholic Church of which he still claims to be a member.

Any sense of spirituality has been lost in a maze of liberalism and relativity. In Cardiff recently the Archbishop of Wales launched the LGBT Mardi Gras expressing the view that "sadly the church has not always treated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people with the respect they deserve, as people are made in the image of God". So are the people he has refused acceptable provision. Sexuality in today's church is clearly more powerful than spirituality.

I have not encountered the level of prejudice in the church implied by the Archbishops unless I count the possibly veiled request from an elderly gentleman many years ago that the vicarage be occupied by a family man, a request that was promptly side-lined in favour of appointing the most suitable available priest. As it happens a family man was appointed. He destroyed the good work of his predecessor before moving on to greatness taking his liberal credentials with him to wreak new havoc.

In the video a favourable comparison is drawn between strong Protestants and strong Catholics. That is no cause for celebration in Great Britain when drawing a comparison. As the following graph shows, while 'Evangelical Protestants' are increasing 'Mainline Protestants' are also dying on the Vine.