Updated Sunday evening
As the General Election nears, more and more reports are appearing on this topic.
The Archbishop of York gave an interview to Articles of Faith titled ‘Faith in Politics – Why Vote’. Archbishop of York: ‘Don’t let BNP win at Westminster’ (scroll down).
This week, the Roman Catholic bishops of England and Wales will issue a document, to be titled Choosing the Common Good.
There have been two articles in The Times about it, see Roman Catholic bishops enter pre-election fray and also Catholic Church voting guide will be claimed by the Tories. And one article in the Telegraph see Catholic Church election advice seen as endorsement for Tories.
Meanwhile, politicians have also been giving advice to churches. See for example, Church should accept equal rights for gays, says David Cameron and Cameron tells Rowan: Make your Church pro-gay.
In an interview with the gay magazine Attitude, Cameron tells award-winning journalist Johann Hari that ‘our Lord Jesus’ would back equality and gay rights if he were around today. He says he doesn’t want to get into a row with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. ‘But I think the Church has to do some of the things that the Conservative Party has been through – sorting this issue out and recognising that full equality is a bottom line full essential.’
More from the original interview is here. Cranmer had a lot of comment on this.
(Related interview with Gordon Brown here, and report of interview with Nick Clegg here.)
Sunday evening
Jim Murphy MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, delivered this lecture: Faith, family and fairness: Labour’s ‘values voters’.
This provoked a strong response from Cardinal Keith O’Brien, from the Church of Scotland, and from the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. See:
Cardinal Keith O’Brien hits out at Labour for ‘ignoring’ religious views
Church of Scotland hits out at Labour ‘party of faith’ claim
Scottish Episcopal Church attacks Labour ‘party of faith’ claims and the full text from Bishop David Chillingworth is available via here.
It would be wise for Cameron indeed to distance himself from the endorsements of the Roman Catholic Church and its morality. He surely doesn’t want to lose what thinning lead he retains.
“To be frank, CRANMER is rather irritated by this, not least because Mr Cameron appears to be completely ignorant (as Mrs Geldhill points out) of the ‘endless debates, committees, reports, schisms and not-quite-schisms that have played out in the Anglican Communion over the last decade and more on this issue’ ” – Cranmer art. – Obviously, ‘Cranmer’ is irritated, not only by Ruth Gledhill’s argument that Mr Cameron knows nothing about what is going on in the Anglican Communion on the issue of homophobia, but that anyone, least of all Mr Cameron, should ever be bold enouigh to encourage the… Read more »
Good God! I don’t believe it!!!
Cameron’s words seem very encouraging if correctly reported and if he intends to stand by them and follow them up over time (years).
Looking into this further I too have my doubts like Pluralist and Ron. ‘IV The mystery Is Cameron’s reinvention convincing, in the flesh, and in the end? He is a former corporate PR man, so you would expect him to be able to deliver a convincing sales pitch – and he does. He does have some real progress to sell: he talks about getting the Tory conference to applaud gay marriage, and the selection of gay candidates, with passion. His defence of gay refugees and opposition to the blood donation ban went further than he has to politically. Yet there… Read more »
“We need to believe in hope and positive engagement. Civic responsibility, and service to the people through elected office, are massive responsibilities which no-one should take lightly.” – Abp. John Sentamu, Times on line –
At least, the Archbishop of York is right on this one. Perhaps his openness to the political system will encourage more people to vote for a positive policy on the sort of openness to the LGBT community being espoused by David Cameron. Here we have a committed church-going Christian who is not afraid the let his viewsd on inclusivity be known – before the election!
I very strongly suspect that the Church’s views on stem cell research, on abortion, on civil partnerships, on adoption, were not at all IGNORED. They were simply OVERRULED. The distinction is important; what is astonishing is that so few religious leaders seem able to grasp it.
I very strongly suspect that the Church’s views on stem cell research, on abortion, on civil partnerships, on adoption, were not at all IGNORED. They were simply OVERRULED. The distinction is important; what is astonishing is that so few religious leaders seem able to grasp it.
Posted by: John Thorp on Monday, 1 March 2010 at 12:51am GMT
Yes, indeed and soon assisted suicide may join your list.
And “Wot John Thorp said”, vis-a-vis TEC and Rowan Cantuar. (+) Mary Glasspool is very close to receiving consents, to be consecrated (Suffragan) Bishop of Los Angeles. When she does—God willing!—and TEC proceeds w/ her consecration, I’ve no doubt that TEC will be accused of “ignoring the Wider Communion” (and the ABC in particular). We’re not ignoring them at all. The “Moratorium” views (1. No partnered gay bishops, 2. No blessing same-sex couples…and that frequently and lustily ignored 3. No episcopal border-crossings) are well-known, well-understood and—by TEC re 1&2—well-REFUTED. The “Wider Communion” (so-called: it’s really just a wide plurality, perhaps… Read more »
I am so grateful to Thinking Anglicans and Episcopal Cafe for the opportunity to hear from and respond to posts from throughout the Communion and beyond. Here in Canada, nationally, all we have is a kind of one party state medium thatincreasingly operates on a public relations model for the agenda of the national structure. -Rod
With respect, Rod, that part of the situation is no different in the US or England. The official communications organs of the institution support the narrative and perspective of the institutions themselves. Thinking Anglicans and Episcopal Café are not official communications organs of the national Church and are therefore free to reflect a different narrative and perspective, largeely shaped (and this is not a criticism) by their founders / editors. But in that respect, the same applies to Virtue Online and Stand Firm. The benefit of having divergent voices is that all can be heard. The disadvantage, of course, is… Read more »
In reply to Malcolm+, I’m well aware of the non-official status of both Episcopal Café and Thinking Anglicans. I’m also aware that an official “house organ” reflects the house in which it is an organ. The point I was making is that the house organ in Canada is pretty much all there is (unless you include free lance websites on the right). I read most of the Diocesan Papers in print monthly. They tend to that “raspberry cordial” kind of feel, although there are pleasant surprises periodically. There is also “Ministry Matters” which seems to be in the human-interest niche.… Read more »
I repeat the traditional Lutheran adage that the mixis of Church and State does violence to both!