Khristós Anésti!

Have you wondered what Easter means to most people today?

If you 'Google' "Easter" [images] the result will be displayed as above. Chocolate eggs and bunnies with a very small percentage of Christian imagery. Not unlike the 'bright'idea of the Bishop of Oxford who wants headteachers of Church of England schools to allocate no more than 10% of places in their schools to practising Anglicans. - That should help the CofE's apparent drive to reduce the numbers attending church, or perhaps bishops do not realise how many people simply use the Church of England as an end for educating their children.

I am not the greatest fan of faith schools (witness Northern Ireland) but what is the matter with Christian leaders today when they do more to succour the faith of others than protect their own? From previous reports the main beneficiary of the bishop's open door policy would be Islam. The Times Online reported in 2009 that in some CofE schools 100% of the pupils were Muslim and that in many church primary schools in English cities more than half of the pupils were Muslim. In at least a dozen such schools more than 80 per cent were from Islamic homes. Back in 2008 Catholic church leaderssuggested that Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in every Roman Catholic school. To facilitate prayer, schools would need to install bidets, foot spas and hoses to permit extensive cleansing rituals. I do not recall reading of any reciprocal arrangements but perhaps that is just as well.

The Islamisation of cities continues with ever more mosques being built and cultural jihad used to normalise Islamic dress and forcehalal products on unsuspecting non-Muslims. The last time I queried whether meat in a supermarket was halal, the butcher replied that 'halal' was only a blessing! I do not know if he made up his response or if it was company policy to deflect criticism and protect their profits but it helps to hide the fact that Islam is a supremacist ideology totally alien to Christianity.

I understand Bishop Pritchard's motives when he says that the church's mission should not be about "collecting nice Christians into safe places" but we don't need to go from  New Anglicanism's 'anything goes' to 'everything goes'. If we must have faith schools, the very least we should do is protect our own faith.Please readthis link.

True we are commanded to 'love one another' and 'turn the other cheek' but giving credence to a faith that denies the Incarnation and opposes Christianity can only hasten its demise. Bishops above all must not be ashamed to"confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under His banner against sin, the world, and the devil; and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto his life's end."

Religious and political leaders must stop doing everything possible to accommodate a politico-religious system that would see the end of Christianity. Christ died to set us free, not so that His servants can return us to bondage.

Khristós Anésti!

Happy Easter!

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Pray for the Church in Wales

In his opening address to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales yesterday, their Archbishop, Dr Barry Morgan, warned of difficult times ahead. "Fundamental questions about the role and structure of the Church in Wales as it approaches its centenary will be addressed in a wide-ranging review led by a group of outside experts, the Archbishop of Wales announced today (April 27)."

Dr Morgan says, "the Church needed to be open to the possibility of major change in order to continue serving Wales effectively in the future (my emphasis). In Wales as elsewhere in the Anglican Communion, serving God has been minimised and those attempting to keep the faith have been marginalised. The 'fundamental role' of the Church in Wales has become politicised and business orientated with faith pushed into the background.

The Press Notice stated that "the Archbishop highlighted three challenges facing the church: leadership because of a decline in clergy numbers; resources, because of the impact of the "recession on investments; and structure because of falling congregations. So much for making the church 'relevant to society' and innovations such as the ordination of women which were supposed to reinvigorate the church. Gone is the mystery,  the awe, the wonder and the 'otherness' of the church. Those things that made church-going different from the mundane.

The review panel is to be made up of "three experts in church management". Based on the current state of 'management' of the Church of England and in Wales that should lead to even further decline unless they get back to basics serving God and His Universal church. But it appears that the outcome has already been decided when one reads "We believe [ie ++Barry] as a Bench and Standing Committee, that a combination of our own insights, those of GB Members and those from this Group, will help us become the kind of Church God  [ie ++Barry] wants us to become." - 'Relevant to society', minuscule and ignored?

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Gay “Marriage” (2) – Wahee….!

The Independent reports that the amendment to the Equality Bill, which was tabled as a free vote by gay Muslim peer Waheed Alli, received overwhelming backing in the Lords, including from a number of prominent Anglican bishops. The report continued, “MPs are unlikely to oppose [the Bill] because the vote was so overwhelming in the Lords.”

In a previous Blog I predicted that civil partnership blessings would soon be turned into ‘weddings’. Within days pressure was building up to refer to these ceremonies as such and voices have grown ever stronger following the vote in the Lords. Some may regard that simply as semantics but more worrying from The Times, “Church of England clergy will be sued for discrimination if they refuse to “marry” homosexuals under a proposed law, a bishop has warned. Other religious leaders fear that churches that refuse to bless civil partnerships might be forced to close”.

Such a shame to close churches after all the hard work put in by our American friend with her WATCH campaign, supposedly revitalising the church despite its dwindling numbers. Who will put the next nail in the Church of England's coffin I wonder? But I thought this quote from our Muslim friend took the biscuit, “Religious freedom cannot begin and end with what one religion wants.” – Waheed. I shall have to remember that one.

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All roads lead to Rome – except the Anglican one!

‘United we stand, divided we fall’ could never be more apt. Anyone involved in the Synodical process should remember that.

Some Anglo-Catholics are already in the lifeboats hoping for a safe arrival in their promised land but while details are awaited, squabbling has broken out between different factions. Apart from being unchristian further fractures could have serious repercussions with secular indifference and the threat to religious freedom posed by the spread of Islam.

Before the Synod vote to allow women to enter the Episcopate, many women protested that failure to grant the demands of WATCH would lead to a mass exodus to other churches. What price loyalty? Their secular regard for equal opportunities clearly means much more to them than sacramental assurance.

It must now be clear to everyone but the blinkered that the wider Catholic and Eastern churches regard the Church of England as in error. The ambitions of a few frustrated women who have ignored Christ’s prayer that we all may be one have put self above church wrecking the possibility of unity which Christianity yearns for, aided by the Church of England hierarchy.

What price unity?

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Forward in Faith

Yesterday's news that the Chairman of Forward in Faith, Bishop John Broadhurst, is to resign as Bishop of Fulham to seek entry to the Ordinariate has been intensified by today's news that 'traditionalists' have made gains in the Church of England General Synod elections which may at last see some compassion emerging and hopefully provide the accommodation so badly needed as the church battles for survival.

Probably the best that can be hoped for is a re-think of the voluntary code of practice but that is no small thing for those who, for various reasons, will be unable to take-up the offer of an Ordinariate. It is also encouraging news for those who have had to endure critcism from opponents who protested that we should have given up the fight, thus allowing a clear run for those we believe to be in error.

It is vital that we fight to the end for what we believe, to move 'forward in faith'. That is no disrespect to Pope Benedict. He has described the Ordinariate as the door to unity. A breathing space should ultimately enable more of the faithful to approach the door along a path that is not covered in brambles but perhaps lined with the rose .

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Humble pie

On 17th November the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will be in Rome for the 50th anniversary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Humble pie should be on the menu. As this healthy recipe indicates, it is real family food, just made without meat.

The ingredients of the Christian faith continue to cause meaty problems as they have done since the first schism. For Anglicans the process continues following the introduction of the ordination of women and problems over gay rights. Most Christians worship God with little or no thought of what separates them from other worshippers believing 'right' to be on their side, usually determined by the 'religion' of their birth. I see little problem with that, as long as they follow Christ's example and commandment to love one another, according to others the same privilege of conscience. In the Church of England supporters of the ordination of women have sought to deny others that right with a 'take it or leave it' attitude over women bishops, dismissing arguments that the innovation is contrary to scripture, tradition and the will of the universal church.

Detailed Ordinariate plans have yet to be published but if there is no change from their position that Rome is always right and others have to admit the error of their ways to be received, they will not have learnt the lessons of history that, unlike Christ, the church can and has made errors in the past. Christ is the true light, pure light made of many colours. To enable non-believers to see the pure light of Christ our varied colours have to be united because separated we are not understood. Fifty years of talking is long enough. It eclipses the true Light who, before His betrayal, prayed that we all may be one.

A healthy serving of humble pie must be the order of the day to avoid the faithful who fall between two stools being forgotten as they follow Christ's example as conscience dictates.

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Christian persecution - old and new

Thankfully Christian persecution is no longer the Roman ‘sport’ which inspired box-office spectaculars such as Quo Vadis but the persecution of Christians continues today on a much bigger scale and is just as evil. From Konrad Szymanski in New Europe :

?According to the statistics at least 75% of religious persecution is directed against people of Christian faith and each year about 170,000 Christians suffer because of their beliefs. The total number of faithful who are discriminated amounts already to 100 million. It's also a known fact that more Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in all the prior 1,900 years. All in all it makes Christians the most persecuted religious class.?

Many of the worst atrocities are too distressing to illustrate here but burning, beating, beheading and all manner of brutality are documented on the web, including the use of rape as a weapon. The beating of Christians in Egypt (above) for opening their cafe during Ramadan is a minor punishment by comparison. In Iraq, killings and persecution have resulted in the Christian population being halved to 400,000 since 2003. Meanwhile in Pakistan ?Blasphemy? Is used as a weapon of persecution. Not only does much of the persucution go un-reported but Islamic states have attempted to get the United Nations to legitimise it. Meanwhile many delude themselves by making excuses.

Here in Great Britain, in addition to the Islamic atrocities perpetrated on British citizens we have subtler methods of oppression, often by do-gooders who are so immersed in political correctness it has almost become a religion. Even church-goers are not exempt. Orthodox Anglicans in the Church of England are oppressed by those who have abandoned the traditional faith of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church because they refuse to adapt their religion to suit terbaru life styles. In the forefront of this movement are the feminist organisation Women and the Church (WATCH) which battles ceaselessly to exclude Christians who don?T agree with their political agenda of parity for women in the church as though they were working for Local Government Social Services or the Co-op.

Those whose agenda is to make the church relevant to society fail to see that they have made faith irrelevant to many with the consequent decline of the church. If we are not careful the remaining vacuum will be filled by others leaving the oppressors themselves as victims.

Postscript

On his Blog Archbishop Cranmer has published a long but interesting US Report on Religious Freedom in the UK.

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May it please Your Majesty!

Funny old game, politics. Her Majesty the Queen, Defender of the Faith and Head of the Church of England wears a funny hat as she listens to children read from the Quran.

Hopefully none of the bits that would see an end to Christianity!

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For better or for worse...

...For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death us do part, according to God's holy law.

The Mail Online has reported that "Two million husbands and wives are not lawfully married because of a Church of England blunder" speculating that "marriage partners heading for divorce may try to deny their spouse maintenance, support or even a home on the grounds that they were never really married". What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

There is a serious point here. Constant change has made a complete mess of Anglicanism but in reality, however man or woman legislates it is in the sight of God that we shall be judged. The Anglican Church has been on a slippery slope ever since change was introduced to make it more 'relevant'. Gone is much of the mystery, the awe, the beautiful language making worship commonplace. Political correctness has replaced tradition, so much so that the catholicity of the church is being surrendered. The result? An Anglican Covenant that proposes the use of sticking plaster to heal broken limbs.

Drastic surgery is needed. The feminisation of the church must be halted. The first step is to abandon the divisive measure permitting women bishops signalling to the Universal Church that unity is more important than feminism. The alternative is further decline with the Anglican church becoming little more than a social network when the Lord's table might as well be used to serve tea and biscuits.

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The beginning of the end of the Church of England?

"Church cuts bishops where Muslims outnumber Christians by seven to one" was the headline in The Telegraph yesterday. "In some parishes in the Diocese of Bradford, more than 70% of residents are Muslims, while just 10% are Anglicans."

In 2008 quoting from 'Religious Trends', The Telegraph reported a prediction that "practising Muslims will outnumber worshipping Christians in Britain within 30 years." By 2035, there will be about 1.96 million active Muslims in Britain, compared with 1.63 million church-going Christians. The think-tank warned that 4,000 churches could close by 2020 if congregations continue to shrink at current rates.

The Church of England's Dioceses Commission Report does not suggest closing its cathedrals but the future looks bleak despite their conclusion [12.2] that "It continues to be the vocation of the Church of England to provide a Christian presence in every community.We envisage a structure that would enable the Church of England to engage more coherently with the people and communities of West Yorkshire and the western half of North Yorkshire, and with the institutions of civil society there."

For how long will that policy be sustainable?

Postscript

According to the latest estimates reported in The Telegraph (28 Dec 2010) there are now 2,869,000 Muslims in Britain so there are already 1.24 million more Muslims living here than the 1.63 million church-going Christians quoted above.

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A new dawn

Just a small item listed among other 'News' items on Google but a momentous event despite the fact that the major interest in the Ordinariate would appear to be from abroad. Listed among the overseas commentators was theBBC although 'auntie' chose to highlight the opinion of Prebendary David Houlding who "belongs to the Catholic Group on the Church of England Synod, and regards the ordination with sadness and anger."

Whatever 'sadness and anger' there may be, nothing should detract from this momentous  occasion in which the Ordinariate brings together Catholics, Roman and Anglican, in the spirit Christ prayed for on the night of His betrayal, that we all may be one.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is clearly a man of vision. Full marks are also due to the Archbishop of Westminster who reflected Pope Benedict's vision in his homily at the ordination of three former Anglican bishops today and to Archbishop Rowan for his prayers and understanding.

Postscript

Less understanding (or deliberate misrepresentation in the  style of WATCH) is shown by Peter Stanford whose article now heads the Google news item. He writes "It is the Vatican's negative attitude to women's ministry that formed the backdrop to the whole affair. The three recruits oppose the Church of England's plans to appoint female bishops and regard the Catholic priesthood as a safe, female-free haven." His article in today's Observer (16 Jan 2011) is beautifully unpicked here.

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A sense of proportion

Most of the 32 gay MPs and peers managed to get to the IoS photocall Teri Pengilley/Independent

In February 2016 the Independent published this picture of 28 MPs and peers. It was reported to be the largest number of publicly out parliamentarians photographed together at one time.

On the BBC Breakfast show this morning [advance to 2:13:00] it was reported that there are now 45 LGBT MPs (7%), an increase of 40% since 2015. A record 208 women MPs were elected but they "still make up only 32% of the total number of MPsdanquot;, the implication being that well short of parity, the latest buzz for women clergy, women are under represented

The Office for National Statistics' bulletin: 'Sexual identity, UK: 2015' shows that in 2015, 1.7% of the UK population identified themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) so similarly LGB people are over represented.

The Church of England (CofE) LGBTI networkChanging attitude estimates that about 10% of clergy are LGBT, almost six times the national average, indicating a level of influence which has resulted in the CofEsoftening its stance on LGBT issues.

In 2015 theTelegraph reported that the House of Commons had more gay MPs than any other parliament in the world, up to 32 from 26 in the previous parliament indicating from the latest figure that the trend is upwards. In the CofE there is growing acceptance of same sex marriage with the possibility that the CofE will follow thelead of the Scottish Episcopal Church. In Wales the bench of bishops came out strongly in favour of same sex marriage but were defeated. The two new women bishops are strong LGBT advocates.

As an indication of how little the Bible informs CofE thinking, 'Gay rock star' Vicky Beeching has been given the Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Compare that with the number of former worshippers who have been deprived of the opportunity to worship because their church has left them.

Archbishop Justin Welby has also been 'honoured' in joining Muslims breaking their daily Ramadan fast. No doubt his halal experience will have been convivial. He tweeted: "@JustinWelby at @AlKhoei for a Big Iftar with friends of various faiths. Through hosting an #iftar we find out more we have in common. 10:14 PM - 12 Jun 2017".

There is nothing in common with the orthodox faith of Christians especially in Muslim countries where homosexuals are killed and Christians are slaughtered in countries such asEgypt simply for not being Muslims.

Small wonder that the GAFCON Primates have asked the Anglican Church in North America to take on the task of providing a missionary bishop for Scotland. Long overdue in Wales and now increasingly likely in England on current trends.

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The cheek of it

Martyn Percy, who said a ?Substantial amount of resistance? To the appointment was building.

Photograph: Luke Mazziotti/George Fox Evangelical Seminary

Reported in the Guardian:

"A senior Church of England theologian has called on the newly appointed bishop of Sheffield to stand aside ahead of his consecration, saying his opposition to female priests will “cause significant pastoral and public damage to the church”.

Martyn Percy, the dean of Christ Church, Oxford, urged Philip North to either renounce his membership of the Society, a C of E organisation that rejects female priests, or decline his nomination as bishop of Sheffield, which was announced last month.

Percy claims there is a “substantial amount of resistance building up” to North’s appointment, which he says would “represent the toleration of gender-based sectarianism”..."

In May 2014 the House of Bishops made its Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests (GS Misc 1076) in the context of the impending legislation enabling the consecration of women to the episcopate which received final approval by the General Synod in July 2014:

"Since those within the Church of England who, on grounds of theological

conviction, are unable to receive the ministry of women bishops or

priests continue to be within the spectrum of teaching and tradition of

the Anglican Communion, the Church of England remains committed to

enabling them to flourish within its life and structures; and

Pastoral and sacramental provision for the minority within the Church

of England will be made without specifying a limit of time and in a way

that maintains the highest possible degree of communion and

contributes to mutual flourishing across the whole Church of England."

It is Martyn Percy who should stand aside. The cause of 'significant pastoral and public damage to the church' both in England and in Wales is the feminist movement which puts secular, women's issues before all else.

Postscripts

The Rt Rev Philip North as Bishop of Burnley has already been consecrated. He is to be translated to become Bishop of Sheffield.

Read the Church of England’s Communication office response to an enquiry from The Guardian here. [24.02.2017]

Church Comes Out Fighting For Conservative Bishop In Row Over Women's Ordination here . [25.02.2017]

Calls grow for new Sheffield bishop to ease ‘distress and anxiety’ here[01.03.2017]

"Rev Sue Hammersley... one of the organisers of the SAME group, said there were ‘subtleties’ to the debate. 'This is not an attack on Bishop Philip – he is part of the system that we’re all part of,' she said. Before Rev North was picked, a ‘statement of needs’ was created for the diocese, with different candidates’ names put forward as the best fit for Sheffield. 'In this situation, something has gone wrong, and it’s unfortunate that it’s coming across that the fault is with Bishop Philip'.”

In the interests of equality I look forward to this group campaigning for the resignation of the non-Welsh speaking bishop of St Davids who is not the "best fitdanquot; for the diocese.

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Biblical definition of marriage dropped

The Christian Institute put it bluntly: "The biblical definition of marriage was dropped by the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) at its General Synod meeting in Edinburgh yesterday" in a measure carried by one vote.

From the Church Times: "Tears were shed after the result was announced. Presenting the motion on behalf of the Faith and Order Board, the Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Revd John Armes, said that the proposal had been received with 'joy and sadness' and had led to ?Much conversation? Within the Church."

 Joy and sadness can be seen etched on some of the faces in the BBC news clip. The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth spoke of "equalitydanquot; for gay couples who want to get married in church and for gay priests like himself. He claimed that "we have been a church that decided to remain together". People who disagreed with him would still have an honoured place in the Church.

If that sounds familiar, we have been here before. The Church in Wales (CinW) rejected the ordination of women in 1994 but after a merciless campaign the measure was brought back and was carried by one vote in the house of clergy in 1996. The measured steps of the feminist campaign continued, pressing their next demand which was for women bishops.

Their pressure succeeded by convincing people that secular values were more important than religious conviction. St Davids was the first diocese in Wales to have a woman bishop while Llandaff diocese has a female bishop-designate who is to be consecrated later this month. Their next demand is for gender parity. Time will tell if there is anyone left to minister to.

The CinW has been allowed to disintegrate as political struggles take priority. Spirituality has been replaced by sexuality and gender issues. Some clergy have escaped to England but others have had to take it or leave it. Many of the laity have decided to leave it, hence the massive decline in attendance figures as illustrated by 'the naked truth'.

Traditionalists in the Church of England (CofE) were assured of an honoured place when Synod voted in favour of women bishops. Since then the feminist lobby, Women and the Church (WATCH) have done all in their power with help from their supporters to ditch the agreement. They are now campaigning for a female deity. Provision for loyal Anglicans in Wales who in conscience could not accept the ordination of women was ditched by Archbishop Barry Morgan when Bishop David Thomas, RIP, retired in 2008.

The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth was honest when he spoke of equality for gay priests like himself. It is all about self at the expense of others. Anyone who does not sign up to the latest fad is regarded as expendable.

By continuing to consider same sex marriage in "shared conversations", the CofE looks likely to follow the lead of the SEC. The bishops of the CinW failed to get the measure through but apologised for past treatment of LGBT people and promised to ensure they are "fully affirmed as equal disciples". LGBTQIA+ nowrules.

Worshippers committed to the traditional catholic faith of the Anglican Church in Britain are being abandoned by career conscious progressives pandering to secular cravings of self indulgence. So what next, in love? Polygamy?

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