Thinking Anglicans

Equality Bill: what others are saying

There has been relatively little coverage of the religion aspects of this in the media until recently. A few items:

Telegraph Martin Beckford today has Bishop of Winchester warns Christians may have to give up public sector jobs because of secular agenda and last week had Equality Bill ‘dangerously’ trying to force religious belief behind closed doors, bishops warn.

The Sunday Telegraph also had a report by Patrick Hennessy headlined Catholic ban on women priests ‘illegal under Harriet Harman equality bill’ which earned a mention in the Church Times press column by Andrew Brown thus:

Full marks to CARE, the Evangelical pressure group, for getting the most completely bogus story of the week into The Sunday Telegraph, via its political editor, who solemnly informed the readers that Harriet Harman’s Equality Bill would force the Roman Catholic Church to abandon an all-male priesthood.

The Church of England Newspaper last week had UK promises amendments to controversial Equality Bill. I had a report in the Church Times last week which is subscriber-only until tomorrow, Move to erase doubts over Equality Bill and which takes a rather different view.

Today, the Daily Mail has Video urging protest against Equality Bill that ‘infringes Christian freedom’ to be screened in churches.

Press releases from conservative organisations:

On the other hand:

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Martin Reynolds
Martin Reynolds
14 years ago

I noticed some risible nonsense on another thread about bishops in the House of Lords defending faith or some such thing.

I wonder then if they will throw their weight behind the amendment tabled by Lord Alli to allow the Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Jews to legally formalise Civil Partnerships on their premises?

Although the Bishop of Oxford welcomed the prospect when LGCM succeeded in getting an amendment tabled to the original Bill, overnight behind the scenes work by the Church of England defeated the prospect.

JPM
JPM
14 years ago

Wherever in Old Blighty there is injustice and oppression, there will one find the Church of England…defending and enabling it.

What a disgrace. It’s no wonder hardly anyone in England bothers with church anymore.

Can someone remind me why we in TEC are so determined to remain on good terms with this organization?

Pluralist
14 years ago

Yes, Unitarians want Civil Partnerships to include having the right to use religious language. At the moment, the couples are having to come to church with the knot already tied through some secular ceremony. That’s not right. But better still is to simply have marriage, call it that, and have it available, even if some religious groups are not forced to have it – the Church of England cannot deny marrying heterosexuals who live in the parish, so there’d have to be a discrimination opt out regarding same sex so that others can marry via religious messages. But that’s not… Read more »

choirboyfromhell
choirboyfromhell
14 years ago

JPM, my only response to that would be if your aged mother were to become so terribly crazy with dementia that putting up with her was untenable but impossible to let go because of the love you still had for her demanded it.

Fr Mark
Fr Mark
14 years ago

Aw, that’s a touching metaphor for the C of E, choriste d’enfer. I think I a few English people might look at it that way too!

MarkBrunson
14 years ago

Yes, but to stay within the metaphor, we would then take power-of-attorney for a mother who’d reached that stage, having her declared legally incompetent to manage her own affairs, if it were necessary, to give her the care she needed.

How could that be done, here?

Perry Butler
Perry Butler
14 years ago

Can’t imagine many Christians giving up public sector jobs as +Winchester thinks.. a few evangelicals possibly but I suspect most christian professional people support the legislation. Sadly the C of E is out of touch with this issue I think.The Bishop is beyond normal retirement age but would appear to be staying on to 70 to be a thorn in the liberal flesh as his seeming support for ACNA suggests… how depressing all this is but mercifully the antics of the General Synod are of little interest to most people in the pews: the C of E laity are a… Read more »

Rev L Roberts
Rev L Roberts
14 years ago

Now, now, come, come — we must avoid ageism and sexism — even in our use of metaphors.

One Geo Carey got terrible flack for describing the Church as a toothless old woman taking to herself in a corner…… before his minders at Lambeth started to range him in !

It’s the miserable men who seem to be the bain for me

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