The C of E: Gayer, Grayer … & Going Away?

The American Conservative ^ | 3/29/14 | Rod Dreher

[marshmallow]

Damian Thompson of the Telegraph writes that legalized gay marriage, which just arrived in England and Wales, could finally be the thing that breaks the weakened Church of England. He cites a suffragan Anglican bishop saying that even though the Church officially does not accept same-sex marriage, that priests can and will “creatively” defy Church order. Excerpt:

How will Archbishop Justin Welby respond? ”I think the church has reacted by fully accepting that it’s the law, and should react on Saturday by continuing to demonstrate in word and action, the love of Christ for every human being,” he told the Guardian in best Rev J C Flannel mode. Uh-huh. Oh, and there will be “structured conversations” to help resolve the problem.

Here’s my prediction. As of today, pro-gay clergy will begin to unpick Cameron’s “triple lock” banning parishes from holding gay weddings; during the next Parliament it will cease to exist. Priests who want to marry same-sex couples, or indeed marry their own gay lovers, will just do it. Anglo-Catholic and Evangelical parishes that reject the whole notion won’t be forced to host such ceremonies, but both these wings of the C of E are moving in a liberal direction, and in the long run demographic change will finish the job.

[Vince Ferrer]

[Viennacon]

Heretic churches lie in ruin

[hinckley buzzard]

The C of E is on its last legs anyway. They may as well jump in bed with the homosexual lobby. No one really cares about the C of E in the UK any more. Their average total Sunday attendance is less than 700,000. A drop in the bucket of the population.

[43north]

I’m sure that the mudslime mosques will follow the C of E’s enlightened approach...

You know its bad when you agree with mudslimes!

[Campion]

That is, of course, a Catholic abbey ruined and despoiled by Henry VIII ... a very different thing from the church Henry founded ruining and despoiling itself.

[AliVeritas]

It seems that all of those who ‘knew better’ were quick to grab up the properties.

I always thought if I wanted to change things from ‘those pagans’ (tongue in cheek sarcasm), I would want to build my own churches... not strip Catholic ones and use them (oh and the universities, monasteries, convents, etc.).

I never got that.