The English Catholic Church - Moving with the times?

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeAfter the recent did he mention it or didn't he mention speech by the Pope it is good to see that the English Catholic Church is moving with the times according to GCN.ie. Bishops in England have sent out leaflets urging priest not to use 'heterosexist' language in church.

Priest have been told not assume that all Church goers are heterosexual. "Remember that homophobic jokes and asides can be cruel and hurtful - a careless word can mean another experience of rejection and pain,". It is good that part of the Church is waking up to how it talks about part of its congregation.

Of course no everyone is happy with this. Lynette Burrows, a Catholic commentator, describes the move as 'pitiful'. She said it was ridiculous that Church leaders appeared to be ' grovelling' to a secular agenda.

'It is things like this that are enfeebling the Church at the moment - the concentration on things that don't matter and missing the things that do,' she said.

'What is pitiful as well as demeaning is that the Church is running after homosexual opinion but nothing is going to make homosexuals like the Catholic Church.

'This is because the Catholic Church teaches that homosexuality is a disorder and whatever the bishops say will not change that.'

Of course this isn't a secular agenda. This is how the Church reacts to its member. Fair play to the Bishops in my opinion. It is about time the Church addressed it followers on this and actually supported them.

This post actually gives a nice follow in for me to introduce an interesting site for Lesbian and Gay Christians, LGBT Christians. Their aim is to "bring Christ to those who have been alienated by those organisations that claim to be his Church and claim to preach his love and yet through ignorance and misconception preach not love to Gods lesbian, gay and bisexual children" and "seek to create an atmosphere of understanding between those who think that homosexuality has no place in Christs Church and those who think they do"

To quote John 13:35

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Do check them out.

Islam Vs Christianity

This is a hilarious video of Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert arguing which religion is better Islam or Christianity.

http://www.break.com/movies/islam_vs_christianity2.html

Archbishop is "spineless" say gay Humanists

The Archbishop of Canterbury's latest pronouncement in which he tells gays that they are not welcome in his Church unless they "change their ways", was condemned as "spineless" by the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA).

GALHA's Secretary George Broadhead said: "Rowan Williams has now made it clear that he thrown in his lot with the religious right, and confirmed himself to be a kind of Vicar of Bray figure - changing his opinions to fit in with the mood of the times rather than sticking to his principles. If anyone in the Anglican Church was in any doubt about where Williams stood on gay rights, they now know."

Mr Broadhead said that if the suggestions that up to a third of Anglican clergy are gay is true, then there should be a mass exodusfrom the church.

"How anyone with a grain of self-respect would want to serve under a man who has betrayed them so badly is incomprehensible. Gay people should leave the church in their droves."

Mr Broadhead pointed out that the Church of England is established by law and has political power in this country with its bishops sitting in the House of Lords.

"This is not just a matter for gay Christians. The Anglican Church's swing to the right affects all of us. There havebeen increasing examples of the bishops in the House of Lords opposing gay rights.

"Indeed, they argued strongly that the Church should be exempted from the forthcoming legislation banning discrimination against gay people in the provision of goods and services.

"The latest move by this spineless Archbishop should serve as a warning signal to all gay people - religious or not. Religion has declared war on them."