Vicars, gay, actress, bishop, bash. It seems unfair to play such word association games with the poor old CoE. I can't imagine that despite the media coverage many people outside the church really care if bishops are gay, straight or a bit of both. But when it comes to calling for abstinence the Anglicans might do well to pay heed to their fellow Christians in the Roman wing and consider that when the male libido is suppressed sexual energy tends to seep out round the edges and manifest itself in sometimes very unpleasant and alienated ways.
Perhaps there is a serious point to be made here after all. Why do the Judeo-Christian-Islamic faiths have such a problem with sex and why are these male dominated religions so especially frightened of female sexuality? For that matter should an organisation that so firmly positions itself within the tradition of repressive medieval superstition have such a privileged position in public life?
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The problem with sex, with the sins of the flesh, pre-dates the Judao Christian belief and is found in the writings of Plato and Aristotle in their division between the rational mind (or soul) and the appetitive non rational body.(Note that the ancient Greek version of superman portrays him like a fifth century Mick Jagger, fulfilling his physical needs come what may) The modern church (via Augustine through to Kant) follows this distinction in its attempt to retain a special role for noumenal experience in an otherwise material world. Long story, and I feel a bit sorry for the Church. The general belief was that soul and flesh were at war with each other, hence victory for reason was in denial of the appetite. See the medieval scourging of the body as a penance. It carries into politics today: the working class are seen as animals controlled by their desires and wants, whilst the aristocrats,intellectuals, including left wing party leaders, represent the rational soul. But a closer look at old Plato(Platonic love) reveals how he found a way to harmonise rationality and appetite. Too long to go into here. But in his Symposium he present the rational Socrates winning the arguments, drinking more than everyone else, and, we assume, shagging the best looking lad in Athens. But sadly, this never found its way into the founding fathers of the Christian Church. Still, though not a pietist, I sympathise with the church in its losing battle with those who are using gay rights, gay marriage, to destroy it, rather than support gays. I fear that in attacking the Church the secular left are throwing out the baby and keeping the dirty bathwater - either an ineffective branch of commercial entertainment or some kind of cohesive community organization. Kumbaya comrades eh.
Well Doc thanks for putting us all staight on the sex and church question. Sometimes Doc a few choice words are enough. It seems to me that the church's ban on bishops is more to do with them not accepting a bishops lips kissing a baptised baby , lips that may have been sucking his choirmaster boyfriend's cock a few hours earlier. Can't say I care much but someone a long time ago put pen to paper and in a pique of religious structure functionalism said that homosexual sex was somehow not approvable to the writer of the book. And Gay people have been suffering the consequences ever since.
Sex and consent, sex and preference, sex and perversion, self serving sex, blah blah and yawn. For some reason Vive la differance is short circuited when it comes to sex. Vive la differance but.....
There is of course no problem with Buddhists, Hindus or Jains or if there is it must be down to Plato and Aristotle. Who they never hears of.
Sorry if I went on too long. Tried to cut it short, but the reason/appetite conflict is a defining idea of western thought, Buddhists and Hindus too. As for the issues with the church over gays and women, Cameron and the mainstream media are leading the parade. Now it bothers me when anarchists follow them.So I investigate those under attack. But I've said enough.
I'm puzzled by Cameron's pushing for gay marriage. I really don't see any demand for it, Civil partnership gives all the legal rights (pensions, no inheritance tax charged on the surviving partner when one dies). But as my parents were married in a registry office and I'm unchristened and unbaptised I guess I'm just a godless bastard.
Big demo in France against gay marriage on Sunday. I've been looking at the preparations for it. Lots of gays took part. Love to discuss it, but anarchists will be happy to dismiss it as the far right, repressed catholics, waycists and fascists, as instructed by the media, and then discuss left wing strategies. But there is much to examine here.
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