Career minded lady clergy-persons are rejoicing:
The Diocese of New Westminster’s Melissa Skelton, in a convenient vision of beatific liberal-fundamentalism, sees “the movement of the Holy Spirit in this decision”, while others see yet more conforming to contemporary culture.
I’m inclined to the latter view. The question is, will this component of the church’s ceaseless quest for relevance make any difference? Does anyone, other than lady vicars wanting more power and money, much care?
To answer that question, one has but to consult the oracle of societal trends, Facebook.
The Church of England’s Facebook announcement about its eagerness to embrace that most hideous invention of the 20th and 21st Centuries, equality, has, since yesterday, garnered 81 comments.
Coincidentally, while the Church of England was soberly pondering women bishops, Marvel Comics was plotting to turn Thor into a woman. The announcement was made today on Facebook and already has provoked 1120 comments; Thor even has her own Twitter hashtag, #thor.
Since depicting a hitherto male fictitious comic book character as a woman is generating more interest than making a real woman an Anglican bishop, you would be forgiven for thinking that perhaps the church should concentrate on competing on its own turf, not the world’s. But that would hardly be relevant.
Now the secularists have got what they want, the media “discussion” tap will be turned off and “nothing to see here … move aling” will be the order of the day. Just watch, and marvel at the media manipulation.
The issue is not the acceptance of women bishops but rather the position that many of them have taken including so-called bishop Melissa Skelton. What many of these women want is to re-write the Scriptures to ensure the teaching fits in with their agenda. Tragically that is also the proven attitude of many male so-called bishops. The issue is not one of gender but rather how they recognize or don’t recognize their duty towards our Lord. They are supposed to be “chief shepherds” but many like Melissa Skelton and her predecessor, Michael Ingham, have proven to be “ravenous wolves”.
Frank, you’re getting warmer with that post.
Decades ago I heard the old joke: Should women be bishops? No, and neither should men …
As for our Melissa, she hasn’t ‘ravened’ much yet, and seems rather to suffer from being vague where she should be precise and precise where she should be vague. I mean to get to know her if she will let me. Hers is a lonely position. The Lord hasn’t finished with any of us yet.
Like the blessing of same-sex relationships, the ordination of female bishops remains a very divisive issue in the Anglican Communion. More and more Anglicans may be tempted to join either Roman or Orthodox Church.