I'm a Church of England parish priest - AMA

[whyhere]

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

Ooh I've got a serious question and I'd love to know what you think.

To me, it seems quite obvious that a lot going on in the bible was actually aliens: virgins becoming mysteriously pregnant, angels with halos (helmets?) descending from the sky down ladders (space craft), stars moving in the sky (space craft), miracles etc. In the old testament gods appearing in fiery chariots (space craft).

Do you think it could be possible that God, and by extension Jesus, were/are travellers from another civilisation?

I am so sorry you went through this.

How do you feel about parents that are blatantly just coming to church so their child can be christened to attend church schools?. I know a friend of mine had her daughter christened 4 years ago, never attended church either before or after and then asked the Vicar to sign a form to get into a catholic school (which the Vicar duly did).

how do you feel about families that start attending church when they have a child in Y5 and there's a nice CofE high school in the district?

Do you think the Cof E is the Tory party at prayer ☘️👍🏿

No one in their right mind would, my friend is a bishop. It's an awful job. None stop hard grind. (For the RC's anyway)

Do you take the bible literally or see it an Education for moral choices and to promote humanitarian spirit. Do you support gay people or view being gay as a sin. I'm completely non religious but I find it very interesting how the main tenets of big religion seem to be similar. So called 'sins' seem to have been added in by various leaders over the years.

What do you feel can be done about the age profile of congregations? Where I live there is nobody in the congregation under 60, though the primary school has an annual service in the church. How can children and adults be brought into knowledge of God when the church (and I mean the church leaders as much as parish priests) are literally preaching only to the converted)? What has happened to the need to spread God's word. It worries and puzzles me the church is not proactive in reaching out to tell people about God.

Toddler tea please - of course most of them seek advancement - and in one case I know of personally have hissy fits and tantrums if they feel they are not ‘rewarded’ with such ‘advancement

What do you feel about same-sex marriage? And what do you think your congregation feels?

@eveoha my friend definitely did not. Though I think the C of E is more career focused. And less personal sacrifices are required.

I agree re CofE - I’m wondering Toddlertea is your friend the oleaginous Crosby priest ( now London based Bishop obvs) who allegedly wanted to be a lorry driver

As an administrator for 3 churches (one vicar) I can tell you that being a vicar is often much more than a full time job. Including evenings and every weekend. My boss struggled to keep her one day a week off clear. And funerals are never on a weekend!!!! Sadly we do more of those than anything at the moment.

How do you get on with your churchwardens?

That is not allowed.

This is true, but FWIW my lovely vicar, who has a gay son (as well as rather more gay congregants than you'd expect in a tiny rural benefice) is considering whether or not he might break the rules. He's about to retire and clearly doesn't feel enormous duty to toe the line.

Do you think that God impregnating Mary without her consent when she was young, poor and unmarried is a bit #metoo.

He put her in a horrendous position. What if Joseph hadn’t believed her? Or the local villagers?

@eveoha, good Lord, no he isn't!

Do you believe that some people are 'born in the wrong body' and that its possible to change sex?

What's your thoughts of the church's ability to be transparent in the safeguarding children ?

The BBC did a TV programme years ago called Footsteps of Christ. Historians agreed it was most likely Mary was raped by a Roman soldier. Joseph then married her. God had nothing to do with it

What would you say if one of your flock lost her only child to suicide?

How would you convince her to keep breathing herself when her own life has no meaning?

Do you mean you're a vicar?

Convinced OP IS a journo

Below are some questions aimed at church leaders I've copied from the new Honest Church campaign (honestchurch.org.uk/ ). I don't expect an answer to all of them as there's a lot, but I'd be interested to know your thoughts in general. The point of the Honest Church campaign isn't to make people/ churches believe a certain set of doctrines, but rather to encourage churches to be open and indeed honest about what they preach and believe.

• What would people outside your church say has

been the core message about LGBTQ+ people from your congregation?

• Does your public communication (newsletter,

noticeboards, website) make a statement of inclusion?

• Do you have any LGBTQ+ people in leadership?

Would you?

• When teaching / preaching about

relationships, are all relationships brought into the conversation?

• When was the last time LGBTQ+ people were

mentioned in sermons or other teaching? What kind of welcome did it imply?

• Does the church highlight and respect people’s

preferred pronouns?

• Have you ever been asked to have a service to

mark a trans person’s transition? Would you if you were asked?

• Is the church supportive of a trans person

coming to the church, or coming out as trans in the church?

• Would your church support a trans person

while they transitioned?