Conservatives claim that declining numbers in progressive congregations are the result of progressive, non-Biblical, non-orthodox, non-traditional, non-creedal formulations of Christianity. I claim that declining numbers are due to people abandoning the Church because people think traditional theologies are no longer believable.
General Synod LLF debate curtailed. We are trapped by the Conservatives and the failure of the House of Bishops to stand up to them and pursue a radical new Christian inclusion with courage. The pursuit is futile when it seeks to resolve differences in the Church between a powerful, male, demanding, abusive, rule-based, sin-hating, dogmatic, punitive Omni-God (for such is the god adhered to by CEEC) and a God of unconditional, infinite, intimate love, the God of Jesus, Mark, Matthew, Luke, John and Paul. The two Gods are not compatible. Trying to achieve agreement between the 20% believing in the Omni-God and the 80% believing in the God of Jesus is impossible.
We have to find a way of pouring the energy of the groups campaigning for justice and equality for all in the progressive coalition and in the lives and energies of individual LGBTQIA+ people and our allies into the parishes and congregations, churches and cathedrals, where the Mystery of unconditional, infinite, intimate divine love manifest in the life and teaching of Jesus is celebrated despite the years of attrition.
One morning, forty-five years ago, kneeling in silence, I decided to take a risk – to live more fully “as if” my understanding of God was true, to live into a faith that I knew about experientially but that my cognitive self wasn’t convinced by. I decided to live “as if” the vision of God and the teachings and practice of Jesus that I had been ordained to teach and proclaim really were true and effective in people’s lives.
We need to get this toxic theology out of the Church
The theology and behaviour of the Anglican Church is intolerable
Clinging to faith is increasingly problematic
The Church is making the faith less and less attractive with a theology that messes people up
Bad theology is in the bloodstream of the Church
Passionless sex is very problematic
The events of the past two weeks, the meeting of General Synod in November 2023, the conduct of the entire LLF process and the incompetence of the Church to respond the victims of abuse and implement an effective Safeguarding system all demonstrate to me a Church that has none of the characteristics that communicated to me 60 years ago by practice and example what Christianity looks and feels like. Words were not needed.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have been bullied by conservatives into abandoning their commitment to create a radical new Christian inclusion. This information was given yesterday to one of the meetings held in the Lambeth Palace Library as part of the new phase of the Living in Love and Faith process.
Can the hierarchy of the Church of England take us deep into the black hole, with courage deep enough to lead us into the unimaginable white hole through and beyond into an experience and reality named resurrection? I wish Synod would bring coherence and finality to a process that began with a profound vision, a radical new Christian inclusion, and with a trust that bringing people together would gradually transform and melt differences in the context of Christian love and prayer.
