The Oil Crisis
This summer saw once again the spectacle of outdated bigotry at the heart of the Church of England. The row over the eventual non-appointment of the openly gay Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading has led to a further chapter of questioning about the Church’s social relevance. This episode served to illustrate that the Church of England has now lost virtually all connection with our socially diverse society. The cool and calm Dr Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury did little to dampen the flames.
The Church of England’s General Synod, held in York, also saw a cameo appearance by the self-appointed leader of all oppressed peoples and rabid self-publicist Peter Tatchell as the row developed.
The vocal debate that ensued over John’s non-appointment resulted in a rather predictable division within the Church between the so-called liberal wing, apparently in tune and at ease with modern social norms and the ‘conservative’ or ‘traditional’ wing. The stance taken by the ‘traditionalists’ was nothing short of bigotry.
The evangelical elite that pushed this anachronistic nonsense was given an easy ride by the media. When skin-headed brutes shout about similar homophobic views they are rightly labelled as bigoted thugs. Yet when it’s spoken by the middle-Englanders of the Church of England it is tamely branded as ‘conservatism’ or ‘traditionalism’. For some reason the Church is still afforded a status of grandeur by the media. Whilst the Church continues to hold such outdated views as policy, there should be a moratorium on the tame handling it receives.
In a wider sense the serious questions that the Church needs to answer are fundamental. The fact that less than 15% of the population attended Church last year is irrelevant. It still holds an almost untouchable position in society. It remains an intrinsic arm of the State’s constitutional machinery and its values are still pumped through the education system. If the Church is to maintain this position it has a moral and political obligation to change. At present the Church is failing society, incidentally an ever more secular society. So far the Church has made no significant steps to adapt to modern society. If the Church’s moral, social and cultural backwardness continues then it’s high time that its privileged links with the State were once and for all cut. A good start would be to remove the unelected and pompous theologians out of the House of Lords.
The American Church has upped the ante by appointing Gene Robinson to the Bishopric of New Hampshire. Unlike John, Gene Robinson actually engages in homosexual intercourse. The Church of England needs to embrace change. Evangelical fanaticism can no longer be used to justify homophobia.
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Following last month’s by-election victory in Brent-East the Liberal Democrats were forced to fend off accusations that their success was attributable to the perception that they are left wing. The most superficial political analysis will conclude that this is laughable. The Liberal Democrats are not left wing; indeed they admit that they are not interested in ideology but only policies that appeal to voters. This proves that rabid opportunism can now be identified as their political strategy. Meanwhile the Tories are talking about compassion again yet in true contradictory fashion continue to market a policy programme that is dangerously right wing. New Labour are still void of any meaty political theory and rather worryingly the sketchy Third Way philosophy lives on. If we didn’t all ready know, it is now crystal clear that British politics is experiencing an ideological vacuity.
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