Mr Facing Both Ways

“In his book The Pilgrim’s Progress John Bunyan refers to a character called ‘Mr Facing Both Ways.’

As I reflected on the events of the past year and where they have left the Church of England it struck me that Bunyan’s name for this character is also an apt description of the current position of the Church of England.

On the one hand, the Church of England officially continues to adhere to (a) the traditional Christian doctrine of marriage and sexual ethics, and (b) the traditional Christian doctrine that  visible holiness of life should be required of Christian ministers.

On the other hand, since 17 December  last year it has contradicted (a) in terms of its liturgical practice. Furthermore, it seems certain that action by the House of Bishops will mean that in the coming year the Church of England will contradict traditional Christian doctrine further in area (a) and will also contradict it in area (b) as well. …”

– Martin Davie looks at the current situation in the Church of England and suggests how orthodox Evangelicals should respond.

Living in Love, Faith and Reconciliation: an exercise in bait and switch

“Last week, the lead bishops for Living in Love and Faith process, Rt Revd Helen-Ann Hartley and Rt Revd Martyn Snow set out some of their thinking in a comment piece for the Church Times – Living in Love, Faith and Reconciliation.

‘We are at a crossroads: either we have reached the point of separation, accepting that different views cannot co-exist within the same Church, or we must shift the debate to the question how we live well with difference. We believe firmly in the latter approach, and, therefore, we are issuing a call for reconciliation and bridge-building.’

Their attempt to ‘reset’ the debate will rest on a number of commitments, which will be brought to General Synod for discussion in February. They have yet to be published – but for once the devil will not be in the detail – but in their purpose and underlying premise …”

– This opinion piece at Anglican Futures looks at where ‘reconciliation and bridge-building’ is likely to lead.

And it is yet another reminder to pray for wisdom for faithful believers in the Church of England.

“Gender critical” victories in tribunal cases

“Over the last month there have been three important tribunal decisions (two in the UK, one in Australia) in favour of women who had been disciplined or dismissed or sued for expressing ‘gender critical’ views.

This phrase, broadly, refers to those who believe that sex is a biological reality and that someone’s gender aligns with their sex. Allegations of ‘transgender vilification’ or claims that someone’s views on this matter can be a ground for workplace penalties have been common over the last few years.

But the three cases I want to mention here (involving social worker Rachel Meade, academic Dr Jo Phoenix, and commentator Kirralie Smith) suggest that the tide may be turning in favour of those who hold the view that biology matters. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster sees an encouraging trend.

Letter to Church Times about Living in Love and Faith

Anglican Mainstream has posted this letter sent to Church Times by the Rev James Paice in London:

“Dear Sir

I read with interest your piece by the LLF co-lead Bishops about the need to live with difference.

They appear not to have heard CEEC and other conservative clergy :
blessing same sex relationships in defiance of Scripture has been said to have been a first order issue all along, which is why there has been repeated calls for a separate Province, which has been continually resisted.

We are in the woeful situation that we are in, because despite claiming to do so, the Archbishops have not listened to those who stand on the historic teaching of the Bible.  No wonder faithful clergy have been leaving.

Yours faithfully.
The Rev James Paice
St Luke’s Church
Ryfold Road
London SW19 8BZ.”

He speaks for many in the Church of England, and many others around the world who are watching with dismay.

The article to which he is responding is linked here at Anglican Mainstream.

And somewhat related:

‘We must find ways of being joyful in our disagreement’ – The Archbishop of Canterbury preaches in Rome.

“Equality” Bill threatens religious freedom in NSW

“Independent MP Mr A H Greenwich last year introduced a private member’s bill called the Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 (“the Bill”) into the NSW Parliament. It is understood that time will be allowed for debate on the Bill on February 8, 2024.

Freedom for Faith has an excellent overview of the many areas covered by the Bill and why the Bill should not proceed. Most private member’s Bills are not approved, but there is a danger that some MP’s might support some of the provisions of this Bill.

In this post I will focus on some of the dangers to religious freedom in NSW if the Bill were passed. (There are so many that I may not cover them all in one post, and if I can I will try to pick up those I miss here in a later post.)

… the amendments to s 56, if enacted, would radically undermine the freedom of religious groups to operate in accordance with their faith. They, along with the other proposals in this Bill, should be rejected if they come to a vote in the Parliament. As noted above, Freedom for Faith has provided a summary of the other proposals in the Bill, and links at that website will allow those who want to, to write to their MP to let them know their views.”

– Neil Foster draws attention to an alarming development in New South Wales.

Do take the time to read it all – and consider contacting your MP.

(Image: Assoc Prof. Foster at a Sydney Diocese training day.)

Why CPAS is wrong on conversion therapy

“Following a large amount of criticism on social media for having declared its support for the Evangelical Alliance’s ten affirmations on human sexuality, the trustees of the Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS) issued a clarificatory statement last Thursday in which they declared, among other things, that ‘CPAS is opposed to conversion therapy, and seeks to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and pastoral best practice.’

This declaration by the CPAS trustees was an attempt to distance themselves from number eight of the Evangelical Alliance’s affirmations which states …”

– Martin Davie responds to the ‘clarification’ issued by the trustees of the Church Pastoral Aid Society in the UK.

The Pope, Same-Sex Blessings, and Protestants

“The confusion surrounding the pope’s recent statement Fiducia Supplicans, a document that is ambiguous about whether Catholic clergy can bless those in same-sex relationships, says much about the times in which we live. Catholic theologians will argue that Rome has not changed, that the fog of distinctions contained in this latest statement means that it does not affect core Roman dogma.

But that is not the point: The watching world cares nothing for such sophistry and sees here a fundamental cultural shift. And it seems naive to think that a fundamental change in pastoral practice will not lead to a significant transformation of attitudes. Such compromises –and this is most surely a compromise – always end up being far more sympathetic to the position they are moving toward than that from which they are moving away.

When the pope sows chaos within his church on the matter of gay blessings, it is likely to affect us all – Catholic clergy and laity, certainly, but also us Protestants. …”

– Carl Trueman outlines some of the consequences of the statement by pope Francis.

Photo: Crossway. Link via Anglican Mainstream.

The Doctrine That Doesn’t Matter Remains Unchanged

“When the first rites of blessing for same-sex couples came out in the Anglican church, they were accompanied by a lot of bluster about how they were not to be equated with marriage rites and that they did not constitute a change in doctrine.

In 2003, the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster in Canada published a form of blessing for same-sex couples. Then-Bishop Ingham made a point to distinguish these blessings from the sacrament of marriage. …”

– At Crisis Magazine, former Episcopalian priest – and now Catholic – James Merrick argues that changing Pastoral Practice might be more significant than changing Doctrine. It’s happened in the Anglican world, and is now happening in the Roman Catholic world.

Photo: Then-Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, in 2002.

What now for those Evangelicals who fled to Rome?

“Where to now for the young evangelicals who left the Reformed faith for the safety and security of Rome? A Rome whose walls would never be breached, we were led to believe, by the ravages of the post-Christian Sexular Age?

The announcement by the Pope that same sex relationships can be blessed by the church raises a serious question for the trickle leading to a flood of evangelicals (often young men, with growing families who wanted to be more crunchy in their faith) who crossed the Tiber.

And where to now for former Church of England bishop, Michael Nasir-Ali, who left for Rome , for similar reasons? What reasons did he give for leaving? Here he is in his own words …”

– Written a couple of days ago, Steve McAlpine asks some valid questions.

See also:

The Icing on the Cake of Pope Francis: the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions – Leonardo De Chirico.

Misgendering and Misuse of Discipline

After the report Vicar Faces Official Rebuke From Church of England For Saying Trans Archdeacon is “Biologically a Bloke”, earlier in the week, the Rev. Brett Murphy has responded on his video blog.

Brett was also interviewed by Kevin Kallsen at Anglican TV.

Did Pope Francis Really Give Blessing to Same-Sex Couples? The Complicated Disaster of the News Coming Out of the Vatican

In his The Briefing for Tuesday 19th December 2023, Dr Albert Mohler takes a look at the latest statement from the Vatican.

“I think this is an indefensible statement.”

– Listen here.

Is this the man the church needs to stay relevant?

From The Australian:

“The new Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane is wearing black jeans and desert boots, a harbinger of the informal style he plans to bring to the role. Jeremy Greaves may be just the man the churches need to stay relevant in an increasingly challenging world.

Or he could be an agent of their destruction …

Greaves is the personification of a progressive church leader. If asked, he will allow Anglican priests in the sprawling Brisbane Diocese to perform same-sex marriage blessings and he’s in favour of ordaining gay priests.”

– Read here (subscription).

Alternatives:

Churches of the Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Same-sex couples receive blessings for first time in Church of England

“Same-sex couples began receiving blessings in the Church of England on Dec. 17 …

Among the first couples to receive the blessings were the Rev. Catherine Bond and the Rev. Jane Pearce, both associate priests, during Holy Eucharist on Dec. 17 at St. John the Baptist Church in Suffolk. …

A day later, on Dec. 18, Pope Francis broke similar ground in the Roman Catholic Church by allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced…”

– Story from The Episcopal News Service.

As might be expected, the media were on hand at St John the Baptist, Felixstowe.

Update on the Vatican component of the story – from NotThe Bee, explaining that what was said was a little more nuanced:

“The Vatican is saying that this is not a blessing of the sin they are living in, but a blessing for those who ‘recognize themselves to be destitute and in need of his help’ that will pray before the throne of God for ‘all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and in their relationships’ to be healed and guided by the Spirit.”

Image from the February 2023 Church of England’s General Synod.

Vicar Faces Official Rebuke From Church of England For Saying Trans Archdeacon is “Biologically a Bloke”

“The Revd Brett Murphy faces an official rebuke from the CofE over ‘intentionally derogatory and disrespectful’ remarks he made about the Revd Canon Dr. Rachel Mann shortly after his appointment in June.

LGBT+ campaigners had hailed his appointment as a ‘beacon of light and hope’.

The Revd Murphy, in a 32-minute-long YouTube video, criticised the CofE for putting ‘a radical rainbow activist’ in a ‘position of high authority in a diocese’. …”

– Anglican Mainstream has this excerpt from and link to a report in The Telegraph.

Since the Rev Brett Murphy has left the Church of England, he might not care very much what is said about him.

Canada is not only euthanizing Persons but Personhood itself

“In 2016, Canada legalized euthanasia for adults suffering severely and incurably near the end of life.

Four years later, it legalized euthanasia for adults even if death is not “reasonably foreseeable.”

Next year, euthanasia is set to become legal also for adults whose sole medical condition and source of suffering is mental illness. Recommendations have been made to legalize euthanasia for minors whose death is “reasonably foreseeable.”

The organization that regulates physicians in the province of Quebec has suggested that euthanasia should be available for infants with severe disabilities or illnesses that render them unlikely to survive. …”

– Since euthanasia has just been introduced in New South Wales, this is a very relevant article by Brian Bird at Public Discourse.

Link via Anglican Mainstream.

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