I'm a Church of England parish priest - AMA

[whyhere]

Baptisms, weddings, funerals, Sunday worship, belief in general - I'm at your service 🙂

Busy day - off to church for three services.

Was Jesus trans? Do you think that God makes mistakes?

Or does it bother you when people make these sorts of claims?

without outting yourself what’s your parish and community like? Rural/urban, prosperous/struggling, how long have you been there and what drew you there? Is it similar to your last parish?

What happens during the exorcisms? Curious as to whether it is like you see in films!

Do you have instruments played to accompany the hymns in your church, and what is your favourite Christmas Carol?

Thank you for answering my question (and for starting this thread, it's been very interesting).

So God has created a world which contains many good things, but also many very bad things (the childhood cancer, the insects which blind children, etc). And then he has left us to it? This seems to me, at best a 'neutral' act. How is God good? What is the nature of God's goodness?

You mentioned exorcisms. Do you believe in evil spirits/forces? Do you think it's plausible that evil forces could be the cause of the bad things in the world - rather than God?

Sorry, I know you've had a few questions on this topic and I understand if you don't answer this one. I'd love to have faith but the problem of evil is the stumbling block for me.

What does God look like in your mind's eye?

@whyhere How did you come to the conclusion that Hell is not a literal place?

@beastlyslumber What makes you think Jesus was trans?

What was the name of the programme? I'm not at all surprised it was for the BBC!

Do you have a staff team to share load?

@Mercurial123 Sorry, ignore me I've just seen you already mentioned the name.

"Just one observation: whenever we try to explain faith, or God, we are limited by the language we have at our disposal and the experiences we've had. There are many ways to find God, and God can work through all of them."

Thank-you for this answer. I think we're on the same page. I probably won't find a local priest to speak to though, because it's hard to know what they will be like and how they might engage. I think most people wouldn't feel comfortable doing this, because they'd feel that if they went into a church with some questions they'd have religion 'shoved down their throats'. That's why I'm grateful for you answering questions here, as it's less intimidating. In fact, I think this is a really good medium for faith-based discussions and the church should consider using it more, if it doesn't already. When I was a kid there were a lot of nice people at the church I went to including the leaders, but other 'churchy' people I've met have been very judgemental and their religion gave them a superiority complex. As a kid, I was looked down upon and treated badly by these churchy women, because I was poor and didn't have the right table manners etc and seen as lesser. I think this is a problem with trying to get anyone to go into a church, the image of judgemental, arrogant people.

I don't think Jesus was trans. I asked if OP thinks he was.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11473423/Its-heresy-Worshippers-left-tears-Cambridge-dean-claims-Jesus-TRANSGENDER.html

@beastlyslumber Thanks for the link, I thought that's what you might have had in mind.

It was really interesting. They recreated what Jesus would have looked like rather than the Western version (short dark curly hair, olive skin).

The Virgin birth is based on belief, so the BBC account is the one that makes sense to me as an atheist.

@Mercurial123 I agree about Jesus' likely appearance but as someone who believes in the virgin birth I find the other claims to be rather offensive (not blaming you of course).

Thank you for such an open, interesting, and helpful thread @whyhere -it's taking you away from your regular duties in your 80+ hours a week "day" job. You're much appreciated for it.
I say this as a man and an atheist, pretty much confirmed for life in both of these beliefs. 😂

That Daily Mail article is (predictably) such a weirdly slanted interpretation.

I've asked a couple of questions already, but if I'm allowed another one ... in an ideal world, would you rather have services aimed at children and/or Sunday School during church services, or would you rather have children attending and participating in a mainstream/'adult' service? And do your congregation feel the same way you do?

It was about how, during Advent, when we focus on the fact that Jesus has promised to return, we need to be actively (rather than passively) waiting.

Yes and no 😀

As long as you remain firm in your belief does it matter what other people's opinions are? I certainly don't believe in the Virgin birth. Not sure why you'd be offended?

Worship songs in one church, traditional hymns in the other.

It doesn't bother me, but my answer to both questions is 'no'.

My current parish is semi-rural, on the edge of a town, in a very wealthy area. It's the complete opposite to my last parish which was very poor. I've been here 8 years, and came because it felt as though God was encouraging me to do so (and I passed the interview process, of course!).