Jeremy Morris Ad fontes Reflections on Lambeth 2022 – ‘Can it stretch, or will it break?’
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Has Lambeth 2022 blown fear of change out of the water?
Megan Castellan Red Shoes, Funny Shirt Lambeth Part 2: Electric Boogaloo
Richard Peers Oikodomeo The Lambeth Roller Coaster: a personal view
Diocese of Chelmsford Bishops of Chelmsford Diocese write to clergy and lay ministers about the Lambeth Conference
I am struck by the following from Colin’s article:
I am struck by it because it ignores that the exact opposite is true in many other countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, and most of Europe. In these places, the lack of equal marriage “is making the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack.” For these churches not to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.
That’s exactly what Justin went on to say, Pat. Now I’d like to see that principle recognised as a real cause of harm here in the UK, in the outworking of LLF. And of course, as Justin did a paragraph later in the same speech, recognised as a threat and harm in the US, Canada etc: “For a minority, we can say almost the same. They have not arrived lightly at their ideas that traditional teaching needs to change. They are not careless about scripture. They do not reject Christ. But they have come to a different view on sexuality… Read more »
“Archbishop Justin noted that “in many countries [equal marriage] is making the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack.” For these churches to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.”
If the implications for LGBT weren’t so serious, that statement would be funny. Justin is saying that the conservative position is a response to secular social pressure – exactly the accusation conservatives level against liberals.
And judging by comments made in these very columns, that accusation — if that’s really the right word — is correct. People in favour of same-sex marriage do indeed argue that the church should follow society in the matter.
I would say, rather, they argue that the church should follow reason and science in the matter.
Reason and science in applying the Gospel to modern society. We start from the teaching of Jesus.
Good…find me any place in Jesus’s teachings (not Paul’s, thank you) where anything resembling the modern understanding of same-sex attraction is even hinted at.
It seems to me that your opening post in this thread was precisely an argument that the church should follow society.
No, not at all…but it should recognize when society is being moved by the Spirit…and the church is resisting the same call….
Nothing about the Holy Spirit, all about conforming to the mood of secular society, it seems to me.
Do you not believe the Spirit can be driving the mood of secular society? Or does it only speak to church-going folk?
Of course the Spirit can move secular society. But I don’t assume that every move in secular society necessarily displays the work of the Spirit. Do you?
If I think it is in keeping with a just and loving God, yes, I do.
So it seems we find common ground. The argument that the church should follow the movement of secular society when that movement is inspired by the Spirit of the just and loving God is simply a special case of the argument that the church should follow the Spirit of the just and loving God in all things, and on that I hope we can all agree.
But the argument that the church should follow the movement of secular society simply because it is the movement of secular society and with no further consideration, is wrong.
Dumb question- why is the Anglican Communion run/ headed/ led/ coordinated by the Archbishop of Canterbury/ Church of England. The (British?) Commonwealth has had secretaries-general from many of the (one-time pink) parts of the Globe for some time. I appreciate that many may be concerned about relinquishing ‘control’ to perhaps a differently thinking individual or ‘party’, but heh that’s what we/ many of us have in government. Relatedly I note that the ABC took opportunity to refute that the CofE is synodically governed. When were such matters of governance last reviewed. Time for General Synod to ‘consider its position’? Scope… Read more »
I think the Chelmsford letter is disgusting. It’s all about “we did a good job” and fails to apologise to the LGBT members of the diocese who were badly hurt, not least that their archbishop put forward a call reaffirming Lambeth 1.10. Complete failure.
Rather a lot happened at the Lambeth Conference, and if you regard it as a “complete failure” because it did not agree with your favoured position on one particular issue, then I suggest you may have too narrow a focus.
Dear Mummy and Daddy We had a super time at summer camp. We met lots of friends from the last one, and some new chaps. Some of them seemed jolly decent, though they’re sometimes hard to understand. Quite a few hadn’t been to England before and they were quite excited. One day we had a camp trip to Kirrin and the chaps I talked to were amazed at the palaces and buildings that their history books were full of. We went to a party in the big house and heard a message from the Queen-Empress and you could see that… Read more »
Absolutely brilliant bit of satire – loved every line of it.