What possible argument is there against women being ordained as Bishops

[Bumperlicious]

Just listening to a Bishop on radio 4 who likened the possible split in the Anglican church as like waiting for war in 1939

Anyway, I was wondering what the arguments are against woman as bishops. It's seems so anachronistic to be against it. Can anyone shed any light?

I've deliberately not posted in the Feminist section as I want to hear the anti-feminist reasoning.

remeber that there are lots of ways for women to contribte to the church without being priests.

There's the tea to make, the flowers to do, the jumble sales to run, the accounts to do the parish magazine to deliver, the vestments to wash and iron, the windows to clean, the Sunday school to run, the organ to play, the choir to train, the bells to ring, the old to ferry to church ... the list is endless. Why on earth would women want to be priests with all that important work to do?

After all, think of Martha and Mary.........

women can't ring bells!
they're far too heavy for their delicate frame!!

I agree nickel - I once ripped half the skin off the bit between my thumb and first finger bell ringing at St. Mary's Ediburgh.
First time they let me ring it totally on my own, rope slipped, fecking huge bell yanked the rope up and took half my skin with it

Actually, you're right about bells. Not only too heavy, but too loud and unladylike. And all that pulling and releasing. It might have unfortunate effects on the womb.

although - we do have a tiddly little thing (well compared to Cathedral size) at church and that's good fun to swing on the rope

Just right for the girlies to have a little go........

It will be interesting to see how the resignation of the bishops yesterday will affect things in the church. In many ways it will make it easier to bring in women bishops, I would have thought...

I'm a catholic but have come across two women ministers: one in our local Anglican church, and one Presbyterian minister in Scotland.

I was sooooo impressed with their intelligence, warmth and pastoral care.

This is an issue I haven't the energy to fight for but if women priests make an appearance in the catholic church, it won't be a problem for me. I think it's likely to happen at some point. Perhaps not in my lifetime.

If the Council of Nicea hadn't been so damn misogynistic we wouldn't be having this conversation in the 21st Century.

Jesus treated women as equals, the early Church didn't so who should Christians follow. The 'Church' with it's centuries of abuse, corruption and mysogyny or Jesus the person who is supposed to be the light of the world?

Women not being priests was St Paul's invention, St Paul who never actually met Jesus but who's writings became more authoritive than the people who actually knew Jesus.

Women as Bishops about time and as for patriarchal tradition I have a dark hole you can shove that idea up!

Yes, Jesus himself is pretty always respectful towards women, at a time when men generally weren't and women were regarded as chattels. And women seemed to feel at home in his company, too.

I have to declare that I'm conflicted by virtue of being a convert to atheism. Reading about the huge strength of feeling about the ordination of women as priests or their consecration as bishops leaves me baffled. Yes, Jesus was a man. He was also Jewish, spoke Aramaic, is believed to have worn a beard, and died in his thirties. Perhaps those attributes should also be applied to the priesthood? Or is it legitimate to be selective and apply only gender?

One of the arguments is that the priest is meant to model the fatherhood of god.