The bishops of the Church of England have been unable to agree
on rules for the promotion of gay clergy.
So what should they have
decided?
At present, the rules say that only celibate gay men can be
considered for the job, but a legal opinion obtained to help them sets
out a row of additional considerations that appear specifically designed
to exclude Dr Jeffrey John, the most famous gay priest in England, from ever being promoted.
According to the church's lawyers,
it is perfectly legal – despite the equality laws – to consider
"whether the candidate had always complied with the Church's teachings
on same-sex sexual activity" [John has not]; "whether he was in a civil
partnership" [John is]; "whether he was in a continuing civil
partnership with a person with whom he had had an earlier same-sex
sexual relationship" [John is]; "whether he had expressed repentance for
any previous same-sex sexual activity" [John has not]; "whether (and to
what extent) the appointment of the candidate would cause division and
disunity within the diocese in question, the Church of England, and the
wider Anglican Communion".
Obviously, all these highly priced
lawyers must be right about the law.
But is their project sensible?
Is
it just?
Is it Christian?