Church of Ireland cleric's civil union: praise overdone?

later12

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0905/1224303498399.html

A SENIOR Church of Ireland minister based in Co Carlow has confirmed he has entered into a civil partnership with his same-sex partner of 20 years.
Rev Tom Gordon Dean of Leighlin Cathedral said the ceremony took place at a registry office in July. Rev Gordon, originally from Portadown, Co Armagh, was speaking on BBC Northern Ireland radio yesterday.
Changing Attitude Ireland, a group of Church of Ireland members working for the affirmation of same-sex couples, has extended its congratulations to Rev Gordon.
“Dean Tom Gordon’s civil partnership is evidence of the growing visibility and acceptance of same-sex couples within the Church of Ireland,” group secretary Canon Charles Kenny said.“I know that many people in the Church of Ireland will join me in extending our congratulations to the dean and his civil partner.”

You can't quite help but get the sinking feeling that the national media, as it usually does, is undertaking the logical absurdity of congratulating the Church of Ireland on its bizarre, outdated stance on homosexuality simply because (although they do not mention it) the Anglican communion is slightly less bizarre than the Roman Catholic church in this particular sense.

We really need to take a step back and examine the stupidity, frankly, of congratulating a religious body for 'taking no action' on one of its clerics (a free man) entering into a civil union with another free man, in the Republic of which they are (presumably, both) citizens.

Why should it have been any of the Church of Ireland's business in the first place? They had no act, hand nor part in the matter anyway.

The thing most worth highlighting is that the Anglican Communion, like its sister church in Catholicism, is still planting its head firmly in the sand with respect to homosexuality.

This cleric is 'barred' from entering into a sexual relationship with his partner. There is nothing here to congratulate.

FatherLen

i really did try to read this. i really did.

chin_grin

FatherLen wrote: »

i really did try to read this. i really did.

It's kind of like the bible. You just scroll to the end and click "I agree with the terms and conditions".

But yeah same sex civil partnership is "bad", Catholic church still (some-f*ckin'-how) has a say on our freedoms of choice. 'tis a terrible backwards country we live in. C'mon lads, lets all emigrate!

Chuck Stone

There's nowt as queer as folk I tell thee.

NevilleBagnall

later10 wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0905/1224303498399.html

This cleric is 'barred' from entering into a sexual relationship with his partner. There is nothing here to congratulate.

That is a Church of England rule. The Church of Ireland is an independent Church and the rule would not apply. The relative independence of each Province in the Anglican Communion means there are significant differences between Provinces on this and other issues. However, it is this issue that has proved the most divisive, both within and between Provinces.

Within Ireland a North/South element (element only) adds a further complication, but this may make the internal divisions impossible to ignore.

For more see:
Church rocked by gay clergy storm

Church is divided on homosexuality issue

later12

NevilleBagnall wrote: »

That is a Church of England rule. The Church of Ireland is an independent Church and the rule would not apply. The relative independence of each Province in the Anglican Communion means there are significant differences between Provinces on this and other issues. However, it is this issue that has proved the most divisive, both within and between Provinces.

Within Ireland a North/South element (element only) adds a further complication, but this may make the internal divisions impossible to ignore.

For more see:
Church rocked by gay clergy storm

Church is divided on homosexuality issue

Are you suggesting that people married in civil marriage but not a church marriage are morally free to enter into a sexual relationship in the eyes of the Church of Ireland?

Like I said, there is no reason whatever to congratulate the Church of Ireland for its stance on homosexuality.

It is still far, far behind the curve and while it is perfectly free to languish in its own inertia, we shouldn't fall for the temptation to praise it simply because it is "not as bad" as its sister Church in the Catholic faith.

Chuck Stone

later10 wrote: »

It is still far, far behind the curve and while it is perfectly free to languish in its own inertia, we shouldn't fall for the temptation to praise it simply because it is "not as bad" as its sister Church in the Catholic faith.

It's like one guy has the pox and the other has the pox but the latter doesn't have the pox quite as bad as the former.

They both still have the pox.

Snakeblood

Chuck Stone wrote: »

There's nowt as queer as folk I tell thee.

I went to a gay music festival. They said there was nowt so folk as queers.