Anglican Samizdat

No, I’m not joking; from here (Page 5):

Last spring I approached the Reverend Val Kerr, Board member of Bethlehem Housing and Support Services, with the idea of doing a V-Day Production of the Vagina Monologues as a fund raiser for Bethlehem. She liked the idea, and the plan was launched.

Our cast is made up of Women Clergy in the Niagara Diocese who are passionate about stopping violence against not only women but all people.

For those unfamiliar with the work, here is a short extract:

I call it cunt. I’ve reclaimed it, “cunt.” I really like it. “Cunt.” Listen to it. “Cunt.” C C. Ca Ca. Cavern, cackle, clit, cute, come-closed c-closed inside, inside ca-then u-then cu-then curvy, inviting sharkskin uuniform, under, up, urge, ugh, ugh, u — then n then cun — snug letters fitting perfectly together — n — nest, now, nexus, nice, nice, always depth, always round in upper case, cun, cun-n a jagged wicked electrical pulse-n (high pitched noise) then soft n-warm n — cun, cun, then t — then sharp certain tangy t — texture, take, tent, tight, tantalizing, tensing, taste, tendrils, time, tactile, tell me, tell me “Cunt cunt,” say it, tell me “Cunt.” “Cunt.”

As you can see, it’s about as edifying as the average Diocese of Niagara Synod.

From here:

A billboard put up outside an Auckland church has been labelled “weird” and “inappropriate”.

It shows the Virgin Mary clearly shocked as she looks at a positive pregnancy test – but it’s not the first time the church has courted controversy.

It’s supposed to be the Virgin Mary’s moment of epiphany.

“I think it’s really weird,” one person told 3 News. “I don’t think it’s that appropriate to have outside a church.”

“It’s weird, but not really offensive,” said another.

“Well, I obviously don’t agree with it being weird and creepy,” says Glynn Cardy, vicar at of St Matthew-in-the-City, who came up with the idea for the billboard.

“It’s trying to make people think about Christmas and to then think compassionately and kindly about people in a similar situation.”

When Glynn Cardy tells us it should make us think “kindly about people in a similar situation “, he has a point: there are pregnant virgins popping up all over the place these days.

Further to the article below, an Amsterdam church has a new way to get people into the church:

Churches in Amsterdam were hoping to attract such people with a recent open evening.

At the Old Church “in the hottest part of the red light district”, the attractions included “speed-dating”.

As skimpily dressed girls began to appear in red-lit windows in the streets outside, visitors to the church moved from table to table to discuss love with a succession of strangers.

So obviously he wasn’t resurrected. While we’re at it, God isn’t a supernatural being, there is no life after death and the Bible describes myths.

Fittingly, his church is named the Exodus Church: that’s what his congregation should do as soon as possible.

He is not alone. According to a study by the Free University of Amsterdam, one-in-six clergy in the Protestantse Kerk in Nederland and six other smaller denominations are either agnostic or atheist.

Here he is.

More here.