Job Description 'Celibacy'...legal?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Gay Bishops have to keep it in their pants

The sex-obsessed Anglicans can't be serious. In no other walk of life would it be legally OK to insist successful job applicants could be gay but would have to be celibate. Hope someone challenges this.

The thing I really don't get, on top of all mentioned above, is that you could now be gay in the church, but please really don't be a woman????? How come this one gets through but the other doesn't? I really don't understand.... :(

It pains me to say this but the c of e church is becoming in recent months somewhat of a laughing stock to me. Im finding it harder to say I'm associated to it. I'd rather just be Christian I think. Sad sad sad......

In what way does the C of E decision differ to the requirement for Catholic priests to be celibate, or from the situation with regard to homosexual C of E clergy?

Dizzy, I don't know specifics but every film and parish I've been in has a vicar with a vicars wife. (Or a very old man on his own) Never occurred to me that cofe were supposed to be single/celibate/chaste.

They are not celibate if they are married or you hope not. but is this any different any other long term married couple Christians are very pro- marriage in my experience.

It is only the catholics who have single men as priests as Christ was not married so they follow him. I don't think this is a good idea - think of Thornbirds and Maeve Binchey novels.

LaCiccolina, maybe I should ask our vicar where her wife is then?! :)

I'm not convinced that it's necessary to ask bishops to remain celibate. We don't know that Jesus did after all.

Would God mind if they weren't?

I don't think it's only catholic priests, what about Greek Orthodox, I thought they were mostly celibate.

Orthodox priests can be married - it's their bishops who must be unmarried.

Can they get divorced if a promotion is in the offing - I guess not ?!

Um no, I wouldn't have thought so

Orthodox bishops are normally monks (and therefore celibate), while priests are seen as 'secular' clergy, that is, they are out in the world, and are therefore able to marry.

OK, I should be more generous perhaps ...

Informed DS1 (15) that I am planning gender reassignment in order to become a bishop, but that I plan to stay with his dad but just enjoying a celibate relationship. The lad ran out of the room so fast you couldn't see him for dust!

It would probably help Boffinmum, if you were to start going to church .... Oh! it was a joke! What rapier sharp wit you have!

Well I enjoyed it niminy !

(no need to get all niminypiminy about it ? )

How do you know I don't go to church? I might be an ex chorister communicant member of the C of E with high level engagement in church matters at Church House

Ooh, intriguing ....

niminy thinks Christians never laff.

Apologies Boffinmum if you are indeed a churchgoer - though it still wasn't hugely funny.

As I said, I'm sure it's be ok if you were a woman so long as you're not practising........

Puts one in mind of the infamous papal chair (with a hole in seat) where they apparently used to test to make sure Pope-to-be had balls and all appropriate bits.
Also I heard it didn't stop at least one female Pope slipping through the net and even going on to have a child (shock horror !) whilst in the job.

Juggling: you're thinking of Pope Joan who, to be fair, probably didn't exist. The papal chair with a hole was supposedly introduced after Pope Joan was discovered to be female.

OK Off to google Pope Joan.

I love history that is so long ago that no-one really knows the facts.

But then people appreciated story in those days. Not like now when everything has to be so boringly cut and dried.

We need a new movement - kind of post modernism - anyone with me ?

I think they are just trying to slowly delay the inevitable.

If the C of E want to maintain any shred of relevance to modern life they will have to completely update their views on women and gay people in the next decade. I think most of them realise this. Its just they are going with the slowly dip your toe in the water approach.

This is resulting in some rather humorous proposals, as above.