Yesterday, the General Synod of the Church of England voted not to allow women to become bishops. Though the legislation was supported by the majority of both bishops and clergy, lay members voted 132 votes in favour and 74 against - overturning the measure, and delivering a crushing blow to those who've campaigned for equality over the last few years. There's more info here.
The bishop of Lincoln, Christopher Lowson, called it " a very sad day indeed, not just for those of us who support the ministry of women, but for the future of the church, which might very well be gravely damaged by this."
What do you think? Will the church's image be significantly damaged in the eyes of the public, leading it to be increasingly sidelined in public life? Or is this an issue which cannot and should not be judged by 'normal' standards of equality. If you're a CofE member, are you appalled by or accepting of the Synod's decision - perhaps you're even considering leaving the church because of it?
Mumsnet Bloggers have already posted on this: Dillytante challenges women who worship within the CofE not to brush this under the carpet, Glosswitch suggests the real issue is institutions not valuing women as much as men, while Edinburgh Eye argues that while the Church is within its rights to discriminate, its bishops should now have no place in the House of Lords.
Let us know what you think here on the thread, and if you blog about this issue, do post your URLs here - we'll be tweeting them all.