So, the Bishop of Grantham, a City in the United Kingdom, has declared to the world that he is gay and is in a gay relationship. He probably did not add that he and his partner are happy to be sharing their lives together, and making as much of their fellowship as they can, during the brief time that is given to us humans - not by the gods, but by the process of evolution - to live and behold the beauty and the of what is revealed to us.
And, as might have been expected, a conservative - read reactionary - body of Anglicans, instead of declaring their joy that one or two of their religious flock have found favour and love in each other, have cited the Bishop's revelation as a problem for the church. Is it not always so, with some humans; that the invest more in the past, which is largely or wholly dead, than in the future? In false piety and contrived holiness than in seeing people enjoying themselves and being happy?
According to this unprogressive Anglican organization, which is quoted in an article in The Guardian newspaper, the revelation by the Bishop, Nicholas Chamberlain, "exacerbate ... divisions within the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion.'
As a lay person, my response would be, let it exacerbate those divisions which are probably only papered over at present. Let the backward part of the Anglican Church stays in the past, if it feels more comfortable there, and stop holding back the advances which the progressive part of the Church wants to effect, to embrace the present and strive for a better and more equitable Church of the Future.
The Church is still struggling to equitably address policy and practice matters pertaining to its women, and to gay, lesbian and bi-sexual flock. The reactionary part of the Anglican Church can cite what the Bible says about the role and disposition of women, and what it implies about gay and lesbian men and women. Yet, a wise person will not fail to acknowledge that the Bible, like so many things, so many dogmas and mantras in our living, is no more or less than a reflection of the wisdom, prejudices, fears and power distribution within the church and society, during the evolution of the Church.
God will not repudiated the Bishop of Grantham, because god does not care how humans live their lives, including whether they have a preference for partners of their own gender or an opposite gender. If god had or wanted a say in it, he/she would have had a say, and most probably would have said, if you are happy doing what you are doing and hurting no other, then get on with it; it is your living.
So, as millions of Anglicans go to their places of worship on this Sunday morning, and pray for the oppressed, for the dispised, for those who are suffering from prejudices, racism, homophobia, and sexism, let them also reflect on the prejudice and hatred which members of their flock are focusing or might focus on the Bishop of Grantham, Nicholas Chamberlain. And let them feel suitably ashamed and place their humanity before their devotion to their dogmas and their mantras.
Let them know that, it is not sufficient for the apparent 'unity' of their Church to be founded on trampling and denial of the human rights of some of their flock. That is a price which is too high.
May the gods give the Bishop of Grantham and his partner the courage and wisdom to standfast in their desire to live a happy life; as human, and not as gods.
Let the arrogant and uncompassionate 'Christians' and other detractors cast their barbed stones!
Humans do not speak with one voice or have a unified view, so why should the Church attempts to achieve such an impossible feat?
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