‘To be trans is to enter a sacred journey of becoming whole’

God makes mistakes! It's official!

The Cof E has also ended freedom of speech for clergy and church members who don't believe TWAW. It has passed a service telling clergy to gaslight entire congregations, inc abuse victims, about someone's sex if the individual says so.

No assessment or even consideration of the impact or distress on women and child abuse victims, or even the ex wife/ kids of the TW concerned. No assessment of the safeguarding risks of telling children that males are women- the guidance was written by 3 males, all transwomen. Another abuse scandal just waiting to happen- the 'sacred caste'.

-www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/Pastoral%20Guidance-Affirmation-Baptismal-Faith.pdf

www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/news-and-statements/guidance-welcoming-transgender-people-published

So, are they saying the Skoptsy were right to worship in the way they did?

allthatsinteresting.com/skoptsy

@Artichokeleaves Quite. I don't think traumatising female rape victims, for example, is really Jesus's thing.

I'm a Christian. I believe in God. I don't believe human beings can change sex or that anyone is born in the wrong body. I sometimes feel quite out of step with modern society. Belief in gender identity is faith based and people are perfectly entitled to such a view but I find it very hard to reconcile with Christian theology.

I believe the position is that any denomination can conduct gay marriages if it wants to (but only these few so far do) with the explicit exception of the CofE

Yes but that's because to do so would require legislation- it would be passed in an instant if the CofE wanted it.

Someone very clever recently wrote about the TQ+ lobby wishing to re create the historical concept of the 'holy fool'.

I thought at the time that was extremely acute.

If the C of E is now saying that God makes mistakes, what do they suggest I do about being born into a disabled body? Surely that was a mistake on his part too? Are we changing Songs of Praise into Complaints Department?

It's blatantly obvious this is people with good intentions and a lot of naive sentiment who really don't understand wtf they've supported and have not made any effort to investigate or think it through.

Would Christ love and accept any person, trans or otherwise? Absolutely.

Would Christ insist that women handed themselves over as a resource and abandoned privacy, dignity, consent, autonomy, equality for a TQ+ person to be happy?

Er..... I don't think so. Do you?

'Some people are more equal than others' is George Orwell mocking socialist corruption, it's not in the bible.

In case - happy it is acceptable here and now! Although even now, not in many other countries, unfortunately. Not blaming religions either, just how it is. Want to break into a small cottage now too, I need help

Well, RC demands abstinence from priests, there are also many instances of religious castration on Wiki entry on eunuchs. It's undoubtedly, as most pp pointed out, rooted in homophobia, as most religions are reflective of social mores, and homosexuality had very rarely been considered socially acceptable throughout human history.

I long to burst into people's second home cottages in small, quaint villages and fuck with their saucepans and milk.

Oh God, I've found my tribe!

Vomit worthy. Much prefer JKR's latest tweet - they can take our genders but they'll never take our star signs.

I belong to a rather punchier sect of Christianity than C of E (which I've always thought of as rather wishy washy, like Panda Cola to Eastern Orthodoxy's full fat Coke) but on any doctrinal level imaginable, this is some stupid bullshit.

What?!

The CofE (officially) opposes gay marriage or blessings but does permit marriage between (for example) a marrige between a woman and a (lega) transman.

Like the GRA itself, I can't help but feel that their position of pretending people can litterally change sex is just a way to avoid dealing with the thorny issue of homophobia.

Yes, donquixote is correct. The CofE cannot bless or conduct gay marriages. The only churches in England that can are URC and Methodist (Scotland is a bit different).
The CofE can, however, marry a legal 'man and woman' even if they are biologically both male or both female. They just need one of them to have a GRC to give them a new legal gender.
Apparently, the CofE God thinks this is ok, but gay marriage is not.

I rather like the vicar in my village and consequently toddle along to our pretty little church occasionally. I went the week Russia invaded Ukraine and although I can't remember what the hymns and psalms were now I found them rather comforting at the time. Afterwards as the dozen of us hovered outside the Church to discuss Ukraine and the cyclamens one gentleman expressed some (what I thought) very unChristian thoughts to the effect that local private schools should also join in the sanctions and kick out their rich Russian pupils.

This week in the village magazine our vicar is discussing sin and evil "Little wonder that our forbears spoke of Satan as a real and personal embodiment of evil. It is as if the Kremlin is in the grip of evil and has no control over it".

I have no idea what he thinks about souls and being born in the wrong body but he doubt he has much time for it, though possibly he thinks Putin has been possessed by Satan.

@donquixotedelamancha I know people who know him fairly well and he does very much believe in God which is why I find this more disappointing than when wishy washy clergy buy into the whole thing.

Strewth. Where will it all end?

Actually I don't know why I'm asking, because I know the answer already. With women at the bottom of the pile yet again.

it’s certainly saying God makes some people not in his own image. Makes them imperfectly. I’m not sure Rowan wants to stand in front of the pearly gates armed with that attitude.

I'm not convinced Rowan Williams is one of those old fashioned, believes-in-God type Christians.

The utterly blatant homophobia here when you consider the number of young lesbians and gay boys who then announce a trans identity. Homophobia right there in plain sight.

I suspect that Homophobia is a big factor here. The CofE won't perform Gay marriages unless on of the couple gets a GRC.

Isn't it a bad thing for the trans movement to be associated with religion?