Building bridges

Source: Church in Wales/ClipArtMag

Following the Pride Cymru extravaganza which attracted a number of clerics from the Church in Wales, there has been more pride from 'The team' on Twitter:

St Augustine's@AugustineRumney 3 Sep 2018

We’re proud to be hosting @StTeilos for their inset day. Former pupil @rjmaidment presided @frjrconnell preached @David_T_Morris concelebrated at Mass with great singing from staff. @SchoolsLlandaff #teamteilo

Pride is an odd association for the church given that pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Perhaps 'The team' is so busy secularizing the church that sin is no longer a duduk perkara for them.

St Teilo's Church in Wales High School is in a Cardiff suburb at the heart of theCyncoed Mission Area in the diocese of Monmouth. Described by the head teacher as an 'inclusive' school, their link with St Augustine's in Rumney, another Cardiff suburb, implies a degree of inclusivity beyond their normal school disability equality duty.

Its links with the 'inclusive' church of St Augustine's, Rumney give the appearance more of spreading the word as discerned by the gospel according to LGBT.

In a postscript to my entryThe big lie, I reported that Bob Woods who was listed No. 36 of 46 on the The Pinc List 2018: The 40 most influential LGBT+ people in Wales had been promoting respect for difference:

"Bob has been a lifelong LGBT activist in both his personal and professional life....He has played a key voluntary role at St Teilo?S Church in Wales School in Llanedeyrn, promoting respect for difference. He has been an inspirational role model for young people which has given them the confidence to be frank about their sexuality and the confidence to say so in public and amongst their friends and family."

There is nothing new in children having same sex feeling and childhood crushes. Teachers should be able to deal with that without bringing in adults of a particular persuasion to give children "the confidence to be frank about their sexuality and the confidence to say so in public and amongst their friends and familydanquot;. Where does such 'expertise' end?

Churches and schools may have had the best of intentions but the results have become dire.

So successful has the LGBT campaign been that LGB has become mainstream as witnessed by the rainbow flag flying over public buildings and even Anglicancathedrals. The 'T' part has become the latest 'oppressed minority' to claim persecution as transgender takes centre stage.

The LGBT promoting bishop of Llandaff has already done her bit by appointing the first transgender priest in the Church of England to be the priest in charge of St John's, Cardiff's civic church,

A recent BMJarticle posed the question 'Why has there been a 240% increase in referrals to gender dysphoria clinics over the past five years?'

"Gender dysphoria, a condition described as 'strong, persistent feelings of identification with the opposite gender and discomfort with one's own assigned sex,' is quite common in young people today.

"The causes of gender dysphoria are 'complex' and 'not fully clear.' While many medical sites say gender dysphoria is caused by hormonal imbalances, some scholars believe the rise in gender fluidity is primarily a cultural phenomenon.

"'I think it?S become a fashion', Camille Paglia said during a recent public interview. 'The transgender definition has become a convenient label for young people who may simply feel alienated culturally for other reasons'.

"Paglia, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and one of the world?S foremost intellectuals, went on to suggest that gender fluidity is simply the new face of the counter-culture.

"'In the 1950s they might have become a beatnik', she said. 'In the 1960s they might have become a hippie and taken mind-expanding drugs'."

Paglia claims that "anyone who collaborates in an intrusion into a developing child's body and mind is guilty of child abuse, a crime against humanity because that child is not prepared to make such a decision."

FromOutbreak: On Transgender Teens and Psychic Epidemics "a young person's coming out as transgender is often preceded by increased social media use and/or having one or more peers also come out as transgender. These factors suggest that social contagion may be contributing to the significant rise in the number of young people seeking treatment for gender dysphoria."

There is a world of difference in tolerance and what can be interpreted as promoting difference, something that previously was regarded simply as a passing phase.

The fear of being branded homophobic has muted discussion resulting in an explosion of 'inclusion' with devastating results. ReadIs the Queer Reckoning upon Us? for an account of how countless people have lost their jobs, families, public reputation, homes, or incomes because they chose to defend God's design for sexuality rather than submit to the LGBT movement's demands.

The latest tweet from the inclusive church of St Augustine, Rumney promotes the diocesan Evangelism Fund Bid#lovewithoutlimit. That is the ?10m fund to inspire new Welsh revival, a misnomer if ever there was one. Grants of between ?250,000 and ?3m will be available for diocesan projects which crucially, will focus on people rather than buildings. To be presented at the forthcoming meeting of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales: 'Inclusive church ? Promoting an open and welcoming church at Rumney, Cardiff'.

Manna from heaven for the bench of bishops as bridges are built to aid them in their one-sided campaign for same sex marriage in church.

In his background paper on the subject the archbishop writes:

"As part of discharging our responsibility to lead the whole church in ways that are just, compassionate and caring, seeking to ensure that none suffers through our neglect, we have invited Bishop Mark to come and address the Governing Body about the process developed and adopted in Scotland. He will first address the Governing Body and, after lunch (during which informal discussion among members can take place), he will answer questions about that process and the current situation in Scotland. Bishop Mark will not debate the rightness or otherwise of same gender relationships, those relationships being blessed, or same-gender marriages being solemnised, but all comments from members will be noted.

"In the light of what takes place, members of Governing Body will then be asked to indicate whether they would support the Bishops in undertaking further work on the subject of same-gender relationships and how the Church in Wales could or should provide for them.  The Governing Body will participate in a private ballot, in which members will be asked to agree or not with the statement: “It is pastorally unsustainable for the Church to make no formal provision for those in same-gender relationships.”

"This is not a motion.  It will bind neither the Bench of Bishops nor the wider Church in Wales.  It will not change the doctrine and practice of the Church in Wales on marriage.  However, it will provide an important steer for the Bench in determining where to go next in exercising their ministry of leadership and pastoral care."

If the GB supports the statement the bench will have the all-clear to proceed full steam ahead to allow same sex marriage in church putting many clergy in an invidious position. If the statement is not supported the bench will come back until they get their way. That rouse has become a habit which needs to be addressed by GB.

The bishops of the  Church in Wales have no need to promote same sex marriage, particularly in church. As readers have commented under previous entries, homosexual members of the church have been quietly getting on with their lives for years without hindrance. Many still do while others insist on banging the drum demanding to be affirmed.

In 1967 the law was changed to allow two men to be in a relationship together without the fear of being arrested. Civil partnership legislation followed to ensure that un-married couples enjoyed the same protection as married couples. They can now be legally married.

That is the law. Faith is different. It is based on scripture and tradition. Sadly people whose faith does not in conscience permit them to accept secularisation of the church have been forced out leaving activists in control. Consequently we have bishops who show no understanding of the consequences of their actions driving the church to extinction while putting children in danger.

Children with no concept of gender are paraded in rainbow colours at Pride events as if they have made a conscious decision to support the LGBT campaign. Even babies are not exempt implying a predetermined lifestyle.

The bishops of the Church in Wales are participating in propaganda which is putting our children at risk. They must be stopped.

The Governing Body must wake up to what is being done in their name and return from politics to faith.

Postscript [12.09.2018]

FromREPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ? SEPTEMBER 2018

Governing Body Worship Coordinator

"This meeting will be the last, as Worship Coordinator, for the Venerable Paul Mackness, Archdeacon of St Davids, who has resigned owing to his new responsibilities in the diocese....

"On the advice of the Bench of Bishops, the Committee appointed the Reverend John Connell for an initial three year period. He will operate the guidelines that have been agreed by the Committee, consulting with others as necessary, to develop a proactive way of delivering liturgical arrangements, working to achieve a balance of participants and language from across the dioceses."

Another bridge!