Short of doing something both heinous and illegal, it is almost impossible for a Church of England vicar to be defrocked; until now. Vicars who join either the BNP or National Front political party will be sacked. There is little doubt that both parties are a blot on the landscape of British politics – but, then, so is the atheistic Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) and there is nothing preventing a vicar joining that party; in fact, Rowan Williams would probably have approved.
The reason given for the prohibition is that the parties are “incompatible with the teaching of the Church of England”, as if all the others are compatible. Come to think of it, a male vicar marrying another man is incompatible with church teaching, too, but the vicar in question is still employed.
Once again, the church of tolerance and diversity demonstrates that it is no more tolerant that the most fundamentalist Biblical literalist it takes such delight in despising.
From here:
Church of England clergy face being defrocked if they are found to be members of the BNP or National Front after bishops ruled that their views are un-Christian and promote the “sin of racism”.
It is the first time Anglican priests have formally been banned from membership of any political party.
Bishops declared the two groups to be “incompatible with the teaching of the Church of England” because of their respective stances on “equality of persons or groups of different races”.
I think of a dear friend Martin who, when discussing
similar foolishness emanating from the hijackers of his treasured church, would proclaim–POPPYCOCK!
Unfortunately, racism exists in many places including churches. Fortunately, there is only one heaven for believers of all races.
I thought the Church of England had purged the word “sin”. The recent statement is an example of the C of E’s inexhaustible capacity to surprise and true to form, it occurs when that seemed impossible.
That being said, I salute the unexpected devotion to matters of personal holiness and contemplate future statements reflecting a growing resolve to identify and punish sin wherever found amongst clergy. Immediate defrocking of sinful priests seems harsh, however, history reveals all movements of puritanism characterized initially by extreme reactionary behaviour. I predict the new zeal for righteousness will backfire and abate after hundreds of priests, in a mere matter of weeks, face defrocking for sins ranging from gluttony all the way to unapproved political affiliations.
They proscribe membership of racist political parties – but not membership of political parties which allow, indeed promote, the mass-killing of humans known as abortion: Labour, Conservative, and LibDems – they have killed far more than any racists or the BNP. Ban membersip of the pro-death parties, I say.