Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Save the Church of England

Ruth Gledhill - Times Online - WBLG: Protest at prelates shun attack on lesbian woman bishop

*We* (and I say "we" because if the ABoC created a pastorate for us Romans who, while not giving up on Rome in the eschaton, are looking for a place where we can pray, say our Aves, and not be expected to vote Tory, we would jump) have rejoiced in the new Stockholm bishop.

Could you find a better Christian?

So here is the question, Rowan (who I am sure reads Ruth's blog), how is this open loving Swedish Church trying to bear witness in a basically materialistic society not like us? Why does the CoE leadership think it has to dance to the tune of semi-literate evangelical churches in Africa (especially in Uganda) which are currently calling for the death penalty for being gay?

Let these nogoodnick-churches go. They can enjoy communion with a bunch of rich right-wing US Episcopalians who would not share a toilet with them.

But do not let them destroy an Church IN England based on true love of God, true Biblical Theology, a Much better ecclesiology than Romanism, and the true intuitions of of our not so bad civilisations best parts.

Ruth Supports Lesbian Bishops

Ruth Gledhill - Times Online - WBLG: Protest at prelates shun attack on lesbian woman bishop

Ruth is the purest of the pure, and manifestly both a nice and a good person (perhaps a specifically English characteristic).

Her story here is great.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Law That Shames Uganda

Iain Dale's Diary: The Law That Shames Uganda

The anti-homosexual laws now being pushed in countries like Uganda are not something that just happens because they are backward societies.

They exist at all because of the hangover of Victorian legislation created during the period of British rule. The is a very large overlap between where these laws exist and the British Imperial legacy. There is much less of a problem in, for example, former French colonies (homosexual acts ceased to be illegal with the enaction of the code Napoleon).

Second, countries like Ugana have diverse local populations within which homosexuality had a whole series of different social meanings.

But, is in many of these countries a type of no-nothing evangelical Christianity, push originally by British missionaries, now dominates local cultures, and it is this above all which backs up local homophobia, and in this case is actively trying to get the laws passed.

What can we do?

Not much, but we can at least accept our historic part in the situation and give gay and lesbian Ugandans asylum here.