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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About gay vicars.

396 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 12/07/2014 23:34

Now I admit I'm not religious so I don't really get the argument of breaking church law, etc.

But I think its crazy that in this day and age a vicar can be refused a licence to practice by the local bishop because he's gay.

I thought Christians were meant to be tolerant, compassionate, etc.

Its even more crazy when he wouldn't be working directly for the diocese but for the local hospital.

bbc news story

OP posts:
Bardette · 13/07/2014 22:49

They are not silly bits and they were taken very seriously at the time.

Bardette · 13/07/2014 22:51

And God didn't create disease.

Deverethemuzzler · 13/07/2014 22:57

Blimey people really do like to pick and choose don't they?

God created all living things apart from viruses?

BackOnlyBriefly · 13/07/2014 22:58

Bardette I'm referring to the Christians who say when asked about the nasty stuff in the bible "oh that was just the OT". Apparently that doesn't apply any more and it's 'silly' to bring it up.

Yet they will say the 10 commandments apply and some of them will say the bits about gay people apply.

As for disease of course he didn't because there is no god, but if you believe the world was created by god you must believe he invented bacteria and such along with it.

BackOnlyBriefly · 13/07/2014 23:00

Oh and the bible lists times that god intentionally infected people with various diseases.

Retrofairy · 13/07/2014 23:04

Actually, god does have a problem with it... I'm sure we all know the Leviticus quote about a man who lies with another man as he would a woman, being put to death. It seems that people think that it's only a recent issue but are forgetting that as recently as the 50's men were being imprisonned or chemically castrated in the uk for being homosexual. As an atheist I find it strange how people can say religion is compassionate and progressive after 2000 years of instill homophobia, sexism and xenophobia.

alemci · 13/07/2014 23:08

that's true back, I, for one am not dismissing ot and I did put a link to jesus in Matthew's gospel about his purpose. in Acts Peter has a dream about what he can eat.

I think the ot is important and jesus is linked by genealogy to David so it is fascinating.

no one has all the answers and I am no theology expert but I have a christian faith

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 13/07/2014 23:25

Ok, I get that its against the church rules and accept as a vicar/minister he should adhere to the rules, etc.

I guess I wish they'd change the rules then. Grin

OP posts:
niminypiminy · 13/07/2014 23:26

You're not alone, Viva -- many of us in the Church do too.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 13/07/2014 23:34

And there doesn't seem to be consistency.

He has a licence form the lincoln bishop and can work in lincolnshire. The Nottinghamshire (Southwell) bishop won't let him work in Nottinghamshire.

Which seems odd.

OP posts:
prh47bridge · 14/07/2014 00:00

Some bishops in the CofE pursue agendas that are contrary to the official beliefs of the church. They should, of course, try to get Synod to change the church's official position rather than act unilaterally.

AgaPanthers · 14/07/2014 01:14

More cock vicar?

settingsitting · 14/07/2014 07:55

I am not dissing the old testament. Far from it. But there are now a new set of rules.
God ditched the old set because they were not working. People threw them out.
Gods purpose is that they come to know him, not that they go the other way.
So he had to ditch the old testament rules.

He then had to bring in his son Jesus and the new rules. Which incorporate some of the old ones.

The 10 commandments are all, without exception incorporated into "Thou shalt love your neighbour as yourself".

settingsitting · 14/07/2014 07:57

The church cannot change the rules without going against what God's rules. Which rather defeats the object!

settingsitting · 14/07/2014 07:58

Retrofairy. Chrictianity is commpassionate. For the person. Not their deeds.

settingsitting · 14/07/2014 08:02

On another thread we are talking about Mrs Butler-Sloss.
My job is to love her. It is not my job to love what she is doing.

It is my job to hate what some people do. But to still love the person.

settingsitting · 14/07/2014 08:03

Glad op, btw, that you now understand where the church is coming from about the gay issue.

juditz · 14/07/2014 08:20

I really went off the programme Rev with the gay marriage episode.

Such nonsense! I am an atheist but inconsistency bugs me.

The Christian God really DOES care about two men lying down together and sees it as a twisted perversion.

If you're going to preach stuff about -IMO- mythical presence at least be consistent about it- The Christian God doesn't like homosexual acts-simple as that, for people who have a problem with this I say: get another religion or just accept that the CofE is homophobic as regards homosexual acts (not the person but the act).

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 14/07/2014 08:32

I think the thing that bugs me is even if the homophobic stuff in the bible is true it was written 2000 years ago.

Being gay today isn't seen by 99% of people as the huge sin it was even 100 years ago.

If God/Jesus was writing the bible today do you really think they'd be bothered about people being gay?

OP posts:
settingsitting · 14/07/2014 08:36

People have changed. God hasnt.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 14/07/2014 08:39

How do you know? I think he'd be quite progressive.

OP posts:
settingsitting · 14/07/2014 08:48

God has never changed.
He only adapts stuff to appease people. He cannot throw his own ideology out.

settingsitting · 14/07/2014 08:49

God is.

juditz · 14/07/2014 08:49

But in the absence of any fresh work by the 'creator' of the Bible, the bible is all that Christians have to go by.

juditz · 14/07/2014 08:50

It's not as if the bible is constantly updated.

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