This post has nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of women bishops per se. It asks if this strategy is a dead end for the church.
I think that the ordination of women makes the church more attractive to women. But a quick look around our predominantly female congregations tells us that attracting women is not and never has been the problem. We will not see a sudden influx of feminists saying ‘now that you ordain women bishops we’ll join’
The problem for the church is the lack of men.
And without men, the church will die. “In the Lord, man is not independent of woman and woman is not independent of man”. Do we want the Church of England to be Women’s Institute MkII?
I think it is fairly well established that the main reason men don’t attend church is that they see it as soft and sissy. It is too feminine. The men that are in church are dressed in frocks. In order to attract men, the church needs more testosterone. It needs to be more manly. Will women bishops make it more manly? Our survey said XX.
"church is not vary manly."
ReplyDeleteSure,
for me though, it makes me down right uncomfortable. I don't like to be preached at, to be told how to act, all the pretending and feigned happy attitudes. After all, I can read.
My experience has been that men do better in Bible study where they can interact with eachother and voice they're thoughts ideas, so on. This seems a better forum for a man; in this case you're not sitting passively as someone tells how to act. Not many churches offer such a forum though.
Finally, a woman bishop wouldn't help the man.