I understand that a Vicar in London has recently ‘blessed’ the relationship of two gay clergymen and is in trouble with his Bishop for it. He states that this is not a defiance of the church, because the church only issued ‘guidelines’ about this. This is clearly not done in the spirit of Windsor or any other conversation about thses things.
However, to do this such a short time before Lambeth is an outrageous provocation. It sets a precedent. It pressurises Lambeth to make decisions based on such events rather than on the principals of discerning the divine will first. It may be that they have rushed into doing this in case Lambeth decides to ban such actions. But the result is just that it gets the liberals a bad name, showing them in a negative and obstinate light.
Speaking as someone who now cautiously endorses civil union, surely patience would have been better?
And while I’m having a rant, I get frustrated by people who expect clergy to live to a higher standard, because they are ‘setting an example’. Well surely, if it’s not OK for them to do it then its not OK for anyone else either? And if it’s OK for the laity then why is it not OK for the clergy? Holiness and morality do not distinguish between clergy and laity. The same rules – whether conservative or liberal – must be applied equally to all.
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