A great spectator pastime is to follow in-fighting. But where to go for the best performances? Certainly not Parliament, nor our political parties. Academia has its moments, but for a really classy top-notch show visit the Church of England. Disagreements on doctrine, personal vilification and dissembling is to found on a truly epic scale.
The major battlegrounds are: the proposal that female priests can become bishops and the uses to which human genitalia are put.
The protagonists are: conservative evangelicals, raging liberals and traditionalist anglo-catholics. The position of each of these camps may be summarised thus:
1. The overwhelming majority of evangelicals is opposed to homosexuality (sinful) and many to the idea of women bishops. A sizable minority do not object, although probably are not enthusiastic at the prospect of women bishops.
2. The liberals have promoted the notion of women bishops and are opposed to any discrimination by the church against homosexuals.
3. Traditionalist anglo-catholics oppose women bishops but seem (in my opinion) to be somewhat ambivalent about homosexuality.
Some in the Church of England have their feet in more than one camp depending on the extent of their liberal-evangelical-conservative inclinations.
Hard line evangelicals can join Reform whilst anglo-catholics can become members of Forward in Faith.
It will be interesting to see how many anglo-catholic priests and their congregations in Kent 'convert' to Rome taking advantage of the Roman Catholic Ordinariate. Will there be a loss of nerve?
Over the years Reform has blustered greatly but has lacked the courage to take its members out of the Church of England. Should the anglo-catholics leave will it put some steel in the backs of the evangelicals?
Should these two groups leave there will not be much left for female bishops to preside over.
Bear in mind that one of the great commandments of the Christian faith is love your neighbour!!
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