Bishop of Blackburn: 'Church is not homophobic' (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Bishop of Blackburn: 'Church is not homophobic'
3:58pm Saturday 30th June 2012 in News
THE Bishop of Blackburn has denied that the Church of England or his Lancashire diocese are “institutionally homophobic”.
He was responding to the Vicar of Lancaster, Rev Chris Newlands, who said there was a "glass ceiling" in the church for clerics who backed same-sex marriage.
The reverend, who is in a civil partnership, said others in Blackburn Diocese and the church shared his views but were too scared to speak out.
Bishop Nicholas Reade rejected the claims but confirmed his opposition to same sex marriage and his own conservative views.
Rev Newlands said: "I think the church will remain homophobic, until there is no more discrimination against people.
"People don't want to put their head over the parapet because when they do, they are put down."
The Rt Rev Reade said:”Whilst there may be individuals in the church who are homophobic, I do not believe that the Blackburn Diocese or the Church of England as a whole is institutionally homophobic.
“As a bishop and as a diocese we are very open when it comes to appointments and always seek to appoint on merit. We have incumbent clergy who are in civil partnerships.
“Personally, I take a conservative view on Christian doctrine and morals. Marriage in its essential nature as the lifelong union of a man and woman is a given and not something we are at liberty to re-define.”
Comments(18)
ChiRho
says...
10:22pm Sat 30 Jun 12
That's what Christianity is all about, the teachings of Christ. The clue is in the title...
Not-so-Old Bill
says...
11:10pm Sat 30 Jun 12
Graham Hartley
says...
11:58pm Sat 30 Jun 12
The Bible is the word of God, it is proclaimed. All of it, one assumes.
woolywords
says...
2:28pm Sun 1 Jul 12
If the elevated clergy choose to disregard parts of it, whom are supposed to be my clerical elders and betters and pontificate, albeit, in the English church extant, am I allowed to do the same?
Ignore those Mosaic commandments that don't suit my venal needs.
I think not.
Why not ask someone round to tea, he's a child abuser...
Leave him alone with your children...
It's OK, he's a man of the cloth.
Where I come from, you are judged by the company that you keep and when the C of E links with a bunch of secretive,
child molesting pederasts, I have to view my association with it.
woolywords
says...
2:39pm Sun 1 Jul 12
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, have this lovely picture that they will show you, of the Bishops and Senior Elders. It's all nice haircuts and toothy smiles.
Shame is, not a black face amongst them and when you ask, they are unable to answer.
According to bible, there are limited places in heaven, and the black faces aren't part of it.
Yet they will gladly accept your money to 'convert' your ancestors to Mormon. So nice, I nearly joined the flock.
My Dad had it right, during the 60's, when they knocked on the door, draft dodging bunch of hippocrates. Every time they turned up, he gave £10 to the Jehovahs Witness'. He was a bit strange, my Dad. No idea where I get it from.
BritainfortheBritish
says...
2:40pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Believe it or not we are not all enthused by the thought of 2 men together and many find it sickening . This is not homophobia it is nature . Even the soaps are full of gayness now .It,s like it is being forced upon us .
2 men and 2 women getting wed is not !!!! normal. And never will be . If they do want to be normal why are there special policies for them and why the gay pride parades ???
I believe in live and let live but we are not getting that when we are constantly seeing homosexuality .
kim
says...
3:01pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Ian123xyz
says...
4:12pm Sun 1 Jul 12
The worry arises when people attempt to use their religious position to influence the *civil* law. Especially when that law will not affect them personally or their religious beliefs. Some religions oppose the consumption of pork and alcohol, but as far as I know they are not campaigning for the consumption of pork or alcohol to be banned. Provided they are able to adhere to their beliefs without imposing upon others there should be no problem.
juanbbien
says...
4:47pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Scooby
says...
8:23pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Jerome and her son wrote:Yes, the church should indeed listen to the bible explicity..
THE Bishop of Blackburn has denied that the Church of England or his Lancashire diocese are “institutionally homophobic”
Leviticus 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."
Now this is from the book they teach, Is the good bishop trying to say that they should not listen to what is written in their good book?.
Ladies - you have to stay silent - "I permit no woman to teach or have authority over men; she is to keep silent." Timothy 2:11
We can sort out the budget deficit by shutting down the NHS - "The prayer of faith shall save him that is sick" James 5:14
Stay away from the zoo - "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." 1 Kings 20:36
Thieves to be burnt at the stake - "The one who has stolen will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has" Joshua 7:15
Need I go on? The Bible's full of comments which can be interpreted or ignored as it suits someone's argument, my argument being that it's full of rubbish.
123Jon123
says...
8:42pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Graham Hartley
says...
8:54pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Whatever it is that Reverend Reade believes or does not believe, what puzzles one is the distance between the Diocesan and the Biblical positions, as shown in correspondence from Scooby and others above.
sen c ble
says...
9:12pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Scooby wrote:...and who wrote the bible, Jesus?
Jerome and her son wrote:Yes, the church should indeed listen to the bible explicity..
THE Bishop of Blackburn has denied that the Church of England or his Lancashire diocese are “institutionally homophobic”
Leviticus 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."
Now this is from the book they teach, Is the good bishop trying to say that they should not listen to what is written in their good book?.
Ladies - you have to stay silent - "I permit no woman to teach or have authority over men; she is to keep silent." Timothy 2:11
We can sort out the budget deficit by shutting down the NHS - "The prayer of faith shall save him that is sick" James 5:14
Stay away from the zoo - "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." 1 Kings 20:36
Thieves to be burnt at the stake - "The one who has stolen will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has" Joshua 7:15
Need I go on? The Bible's full of comments which can be interpreted or ignored as it suits someone's argument, my argument being that it's full of rubbish.
Graham Hartley
says...
9:48pm Sun 1 Jul 12
sen c ble
says...
10:34pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Graham Hartley wrote:Why then dispute and reject the contents, as from some posts!
Yes, in one word. But consider that He wrote in His capacity as One of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And further, it is proclaimed that man is made in His image; if one understands therefrom that man is a copy of Jesus and the other members of the Trinity, then if a man wrote the Bible then it was written by Jesus, God and The Holy Spirit; forgive me, a man, as you would forgive Jesus, if my capitalisation is incorrect.
Enlightened Patriot
says...
10:50pm Sun 1 Jul 12
Not quite true, this country is falling over backwards not to `offend' them by, for example, by banning pork. bacon, sausage, etc, in London schools - 85 out of 90 in one area - and at least one university considered banning alcohol by closing the bar for the same reasons.
Some might not mind these things happening but I do. People who come here should respect OUR laws, regulations and customs (as we have to do in theirs) and not seek to change them to their own ends. As areas of sharia law increase in the UK, this will become much more the case.
http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
2160534/A-ban-banger
s-Hundreds-school-pu
pils-denied-pork-rel
igious-reasons.html?
ito=feeds-newsxml
http://www.jihadwatc
h.org/2008/09/uk-mus
lims-try-to-get-alco
hol-banned-at-local-
supermarket.html
Graham Hartley
says...
11:02pm Sun 1 Jul 12
sen c ble wrote:Because I am not infallible, or because I am at once a (hum)an and a (comedi)an? Innit.
Graham Hartley wrote:Why then dispute and reject the contents, as from some posts!
Yes, in one word. But consider that He wrote in His capacity as One of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And further, it is proclaimed that man is made in His image; if one understands therefrom that man is a copy of Jesus and the other members of the Trinity, then if a man wrote the Bible then it was written by Jesus, God and The Holy Spirit; forgive me, a man, as you would forgive Jesus, if my capitalisation is incorrect.
Jerome and her son says...
5:55pm Sat 30 Jun 12
Leviticus 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."
Now this is from the book they teach, Is the good bishop trying to say that they should not listen to what is written in their good book?.