The Church of England is on the verge of
tearing itself apart
over the issue of whether homosexuality is morally right and whether
openly gay men should be allowed to hold positions of high authority in
the Church. The Roman Catholic church is even trying to ensure
that gay
teachers are not employed in faith schools!
In centuries gone by the church has maintained its
position of authority and respect by staying one step ahead of the
general population as new scientific and social discoveries have
broadened the knowledge of mankind. We now know that homosexuality
is indeed a normal part of the range of human sexuality, but far from
setting a lead, the church is still decades behind the rest of us by
classifying gay men as abnormal or deviant.
There are of course many liberal-minded clergy who
believe strongly that the church must re-interpret the teachings of the
bible in the light of our new knowledge. Sadly, however, they
appear to be in the minority, and I fear that the Church's stance on
this important issue will serve only to make the Church less and less
relevant to people around the world.
