Updated
There have been quite a few of these during the last week.
The Church of England Newspaper has a news report by Toby Cohen Churches warned over equality laws. In the paper edition the headline was Minister’s warning to churches on equality.
And Andrew Carey discussed it in his regular opinion column in the same issue, headlined A chilling strategy (reproduced at Anglican Mainstream).
Today, the Church Times reported (scroll down to end of article) on what the Christian Institute said about it, which is based on their press releases, linked earlier.
The Spectator published an article by Melanie Phillips entitled The sexualisation of heresy.
Christian Concern for our Nation published Equality Bill will force Churches to Employ Homosexuals. Earlier this organisation had published Equality Bill: An Unworkable, Muddled Hierarchy of Rights.
Update
Neil Addison at Religion Law Blog wrote Religious Freedom in England Today.
I’ve just finished reading Ms. Phillips Spectator bit. I cannot abide false witness without commenting, of course. Firstly, she repeats all the old presuppositional nonsense, in a tone which energetically urges us to take all the old negatives for granted. Her basic rhetorical skew is familiar, too, a clear frame: My Way (The only gospel orthodox way) or the Highway. The alternative to following her nasty views, lock step? Why, of course – Anything Goes. Ms. P does readers a passing favor by actually spelling this set of opposed categories out, instead of slyly insinuating. Like looking for setups in… Read more »
Anyone reading any of Melanie Philips’ characteristically forthright opinion pieces would be well advised to take a hot bath afterwards.
“The trouble is that the alliance of the government with so-called ‘progressive’ Christian groups represents the breakdown of trust in the Church. When you have Christians seeking to curtail the freedom of their co-religionists through instruments like the Equality Bill and the Equality and Human Rights Commission then you have a return to the religious persecutions of the past.” – Andrew Carey (any relation to..?) – Has Andrew Carey ever thought that the actions of his fellow Evangelical homophobes have sought to *curtail the freedom of their co-religionists* – in seeking to exacerbate the exclusion of LGBTs and women from… Read more »
Just for the record–Nero didn’t marry his horse; on the other hand, Caligula did get his horse elected to the Senate. Oh, and Caligula–good little heterosexual that he was–married his sister.
It seems entirely reasonable that exemptions from the duty to treat people fairly must be kept as minimal as possible. Personally, I think there is a case for no exemptions at all, but given that the church is institutionally homophobic, these allowed discriminatory practices should not be allowed to go further than those involved in the central religious role. There is no reason why any other role could not be carried out by someone simply doing the job for a wage in return.
Colin Coward has commented on the article by Melanie Phillips, see http://changingattitude-england.blogspot.com/2009/05/melanie-phillips-world-of-intolerance.html
I could barely parse Malignant Melanie’s article, laced as it was with overblown metaphors… no wonder she mentioned neuralgia somewhere in that lot… so thanks to drdanfee and Colin Coward for hacking their way to the end. “Normal” is a rallying cry of the bully – you can’t be different to me because it icks me out, WE are normal but They are unnatural, and they do disgusting things and have odd ideas and probably smell funny too. The church is the last place where this toxic, defensive little attitude should flourish. I can’t help thinking Caligula was probably onto… Read more »
“WE are normal but They are unnatural”
“Father and Mother and Me,
Sister and Auntie say,
And all of the people like us are We,
And everyone else is They.
And They live over the Sea,
But we live over the way,
But would you believe it, They look upon We,
As only another They?”
Thanks PON for the fact check. Just reading through the MP essay disoriented me, contributing to my fake memory retrievals. Other factors? Well, posit age above all. Passing note add: At least in USA the freedom of nonprofit organizations to set their own special rules for membership/leadership have been legally well-established. How? Via the USA famous case of the Boy Scouts which ascended all the way to the SCOTUS. Supreme Court of the US. That final federal ruling affirmed that the USA Boy Scouts could refuse to let gay scouts and/or gay scout leaders into the scout tent, period. Thus.… Read more »
“Passing note add: At least in USA the freedom of nonprofit organizations to set their own special rules for membership/leadership have been legally well-established. How? Via the USA famous case of the Boy Scouts which ascended all the way to the SCOTUS. Supreme Court of the US. That final federal ruling affirmed that the USA Boy Scouts could refuse to let gay scouts and/or gay scout leaders into the scout tent, period. Thus. The fear mongering about real, particular churches not being able to continue to refuse membership/leadership to the much-maligned queer folks are, well, fairly well settled at least… Read more »
“Has Andrew Carey ever thought that the actions of his fellow Evangelical homophobes have sought to *curtail the freedom of their co-religionists* – in seeking to exacerbate the exclusion of LGBTs and women from fellowship and ministry in the Church, thus dividing the Church and promoting schism on these issues?” I think the point is that the conservative arm of the church seeks to influence policy within the structures of the church, not by secular government – but on the other hand, those in favour of full acceptance of homosexual lifestyles in the church are using government legislation. In general… Read more »
James
I am not sure how familiar you are with the British situation, but the majority of those supporting the legislation under discussion here are not active members of any church (or any other religious body, for that matter).
And the vast majority of official representations made to the legislators from official British church bodies are concerned to curtail the effects of the proposed legislation. See for example my post on the history of regulation 7(3).
So I simply don’t understand your point.
“I think the point is that the conservative arm of the church seeks to influence policy within the structures of the church, not by secular government”
You can’t possibly be serious!
“I think the point is that the conservative arm of the church seeks to influence policy within the structures of the church, not by secular government” – James, on Wednesday –
Oh really! In the same way, do you mean, as the conservative Archbishops in Nigeria and Uganda – where they have influenced government on legal penalties for gays? Or in the USA, where the conservative Christians have helped to overturn existing laws which allowed same sex couples to marry? Let’s get real here.
It would appear, Fr. Ron, that we have been caught by a troll. Will I never learn?
Just for the record–Nero didn’t marry his horse; on the other hand, Caligula did get his horse elected to the Senate. Oh, and Caligula–good little heterosexual that he was–married his sister.
“Passing note add: At least in USA the freedom of nonprofit organizations to set their own special rules for membership/leadership have been legally well-established. How? Via the USA famous case of the Boy Scouts which ascended all the way to the SCOTUS. Supreme Court of the US. That final federal ruling affirmed that the USA Boy Scouts could refuse to let gay scouts and/or gay scout leaders into the scout tent, period. Thus. The fear mongering about real, particular churches not being able to continue to refuse membership/leadership to the much-maligned queer folks are, well, fairly well settled at least… Read more »