I'm a Church of England parish priest - AMA

[whyhere]

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

I have a big issue with religion (except theoretical of course) being peddled in schools, particularly those that aren't religious schools (which I abhor but that's a different thread). How do you justify the church going into schools and the concerns from parents about potential indoctrination of their children?

Do you think your God is sadistic or has sadistic tendencies ?
What about Lilith? Are men and women equal ?
Do you think a lot of people who are Christians are going to hell? Do YOU live as the bible tells you ? I don't believe in hell but hypothetically I think the only Christians not going are the Armish.

Am not the vicar doing the AMA but this was the situation with me and my husband and they were totally fine with it. I’m a Christian and it was really important to me to get married in a church

How do you square this? I arranged a carol singing event for children and their families yesterday and a lot of fun was had by all. As a favour to the local church I allowed a Christingle element to be "bolted on" because so few families go to the church that they cannot run their own.

Imagine my horror when I heard the curate who came in telling the children that god's goodness solves all problems and makes people happy all round the world. Well bugger me! - when did that happen? I had been listening to the news before I left for the event and did not see any sign whatsoever of any deity waving their magic wand and solving problems and making people happy! I heard misery and strife and destruction.

This is just lying to children - are you able to justify this in any way?

I hope you raised an eyebrow at him

It was a she! And she was not in eyeshot when she said this - just as well!!

Is the OP coming back?

Not my thread so not my issue, but ... in standard Christian theology the whole point is that Mary does consent, right? Why do you think she didn't?

And don't you think, if you are prepared to accept virgin birth etc., you would also be prepared to accept the teensy little possibility that the divine plan did include Joseph et al. believing Mary?

It’s very difficult for those on the outside looking in to understand the power of visions and dreams, for example, where an angel appeared to Joseph. It was a vital detail and having heard of or even experienced such things (not an angel) after which I came to believe in God, I do believe this happened. But if you live only by reason, and think that this (reason) is all there is to life, this will be meaningless

Looking forward to the AMA return....

Well, yes ... but surely, if you can stretch reason to the point where you believe God impregnated a virgin, then you can believe in dreams/visions? They are not categorically different.

Do you think there is going to be a Second Coming .... i.e is the OP going to return ?

Do you really believe that a man , who was crucified and died, if he actually existed, actually rose from the dead?

And why is Jesus portrayed as a white man?

This is so tedious.

I imagine that the vast majority of those proponents of LGBTQ++++++ have zero interest in the Christian faith and worship. They are just jumping on some kind of woke bandwagon.

There are some LGBTQ+ Christians who are troubled by the church's stance, but if they want to marry, there are civil options. This does not mean they are not loved by their church family.

The church is governed by 39 articles and other aspects of canon law and biblical teaching which define marriage as between one man and one woman. Deal with it! Marriage is not about having a party with the backdrop of a pretty building.

The Church of England has been bending over backwards in recent years to give LGBTQ a voice, particularly through LLF. General Synod next year is pretty much going to be a crunch time in the church, which is highly likely to lead to a schism.

Give this vicar a break. She (I assume) has come here in good faith to explain her role. I would like to hear of that role rather than launching virtiol at her.

Who are you to tell us what is tedious?

If you don't want to read the thread, no one is forcing you.

There are loads of LGBT Christians (my tiny benefice alone, which has a regular congregation of 30-odd people in most of its churches, has several gay regulars). And no, actually, we don't necessarily feel that the civil option is an 'option' in the way you seem to mean. I want to get married in Church. I am quite prepared to hold out for the C of E to come around, and I do believe it will - the movement of several bishops in recent weeks was a really hopeful sign.

Marriage in church has nothing to do with a 'pretty building'. I want to get married in Church because I have been a regular churchgoer all my life, because my partner and I go every Sunday, because my daughter has been an altar server since before she could talk coherently, because that is where my chosen family are. Need I go on?

How incredibly rude of you to presume we don't belong in your narrow, patronising version of what Church must be.

what a stupid question

I just follow what it says in the bible. How dare you dilute what this says. ;)

It’s not actually. A survey of CofE priests showed that not all actually believe in god (I think euphemistically known as a crisis of faith) But don’t let engaging some critical thinking get in your way of being offensive.

I dare because, as it happens, I'm Christian, and therefore not a Biblical literalist. I don't think Christianity is a dilution of anything, just because it is about more than the Bible.

Think this may partly be aimed at me, apologies if not. As it happens I am a queer Christian who is personally very concerned by the attitude of many in the church towards lgbtq+ people. I can assure you, my questions are in good faith. Being loved by your church community means having the same rights and opportunities as them.
And if the vast majority of the lgbtq+ community aren't interested in Christianity, might that in part be due to the church's treatment of us?

Gosh! Okay....
In the CofE I think the days are gone when we were thought of as in some way special or different. However, I'm still expected to listen to everyone's problems, which is fine.

I think that we are still expected to demonstrate very high standards, even though most people accept that we are simply human beings just like them. I'm very lucky in that I really don't ever get angry in an out of control sort of way, and I'm also pretty resilient when criticised or unfairly accused, so I generally behave appropriately.

I don't have favourites - it would be like choosing a favourite child 🙂

Regarding having friends in the parish, I was taught that this is not acceptable, and I've stuck to that ever since. I don't have any difficulty keeping confidences, as it's such a privilege to be trusted, and I would hate to betray that.

It's the part towards the end of Luke's gospel, of the two men walking along the road to Emmaus, who encounter Jesus after his death, although they don't recognise him until he goes into their home and shares food with them.

It's my favourite because it reminds us to be ready to encounter God anywhere, even when we least expect it.

Because, to me, the world is so complex and amazing that nothing else makes sense.

Again. Do you really believe that a man, who was crucified, came back from the dead?

Generally confirmation (which happens around the age of 12/13) is the entry point to communion but in our church (in common with some other CofE parishes) we offer first communion classes to younger children, which then admits them to communion. However, in common with most priests of my acquaintance, I would never refuse communion to someone who requested it.