The Christian faith attracts its fair share of weirdos, nincompoops and barnpots: people who up t'North we say are a penny short of a shilling. It attracts also thoughtful, intelligent, reasoning people.
Over the years I have preached many times, been deeply involved in working with or for Christian charities and studied successfully for a diploma in theology.
I might disagree with a person's beliefs but I respect them. However when that belief manifests itself in ideas which are just plain bonkers I feel that I am relieved of any compunction to show respect.
Step forward the clergy at St Nicholas, Sevenoaks. St Nicholas is very much of the evangelical persuasion within the Church of England. The clergy has developed a new school of theology -which I shall call the Fundamentalist Literalist Ultra-Conservative Evangelical School (FLUCE), which has a great many similarities to the tenets of the Strict Bretheren.
One theory of this school, derived from its method of biblical interpretation, is that women are second-class citizens, who should obey their husbands, do as they are told and keep quiet. Understandably some of the female members of the congregation have not taken kindly to this teaching, nor has a female priest in a nearby parish. No room in FLUCE's thinking then for women bishops! Maybe we should withdraw the right of women to vote or demand that husbands mark their ballot papers for them.
Theological debate has been raging through the local news media. We must demand Harriet Harperson be sent in to St Nicks to bang clerical heads together.
KENT COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: acerbic, carping, caustic, curmudgeonly,critical, cynical, grumpy, moaning, sardonic and plain speaking.
No comments:
Post a Comment