Seeker

'Communities together: Build a Bridge' is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2013.  Since 2001 in the UK the 27th January each year is designated as a day to learn lessons from genocides, with the aim of creating a better future and challenge hatred and persecution in the UK today. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust chose 27 January because it is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on 27 January 1945. Has humanity learned the lessons from the genocides of Nazi persecution? It seems not: consider Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur and many more tragic destruction and persecution of communities of people. Remembering is important, but it is not enough. What can any of us do to prevent repetition? Take a look at this video 'Lessons Learnt?'  To show your support you can 'build a bridge' for Holocaust Memorial Day Trust site here.   

This tea towel is 20 years old, so has probably been hung out to dry often.  Wrung out and hung out to dry is how many men and women in the Church of England have been feeling in recent days. If ever there was a time for 'hanging on in there' this is it. We are in a mess, but we're not as helpless as this tea towel. We are being stirred up in reaction to a crisis. May we be stirred up to actions of love, peace and justice. Here are some links to posts that have encouraged me to 'hang on in there': 10 great things about the Church of England Female bishops: on not letting it go Address to Diocesan synod The Church of England and women: a rare moment of clarity Women Bishops - apology And then there is the very interesting development that Frank Field MP has tabled a Private Members Bill in the House of Commons - Equality Act 2010 (amendment) 2012-2013 to amend the Equality Act (2010)to remove the discrimination against women in relatio...

"Like a mighty tortoise moves the church of God. Brothers we are treading where we've always trod." Any institution changes slowly and change is costly. Should the consecration as bishops of women as well as men be at any cost? Not at any cost in my view, but inevitably at some cost. Where there is disagreement its resolution almost always involves compromise. The draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure supported by 42 of the 44 dioceses already represents a potentially workable compromise. It is arguable if the 2 additional amendments added last week by the House of Bishops are a compromise too far (for some) or not far enough (for others). Yesterday was Josephine Butler's commemoration day. Thinking about her I wondered if we can learn anything from the history of higher education for women that is relevant for the C. of E.'s currently ridiculous position in relation to women in the episcopate? As referred to in a previo...

I've been thinking about language that demeans  others - so this cartoon caught my eye. One of the things that bugs me is when people refer to adult women as 'girls'. It is usually men who do this and it can seem patronising and belittling. As I wrote this I remembered that I've just renewed my subscription to the '... Old Girls' Association' without batting an eyelid. Well, it is a school for girls and I was a girl when I was a pupil there - but should I start a campaign for a name change for the association? Any WOGA members reading this? We women can be equally guilty of using belittling terms for men. A recent public example was the UK MP Nadine Dorries who accused the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer as being "posh arrogant boys" .  It's all about the power games people play of course and women are just as capable of putting down men as men can put down women. Her comment was matronizing, snobbish and belittling. Wh...

Equality, particularly gender equality, is the theme of Christian Aid's 'Count Your Blessings' Lent calendar this week. Today's focus is parliamentary representation. The UK has made a little progress in this area in the last century. 100 years ago there were no women in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. The first woman in the House of Commons took her seat in 1919, but it was not till 1958 there was a woman in the House of Lords.  We still have a long way to go in the UK. The percentage of women overall in the Westminster Houses of Parliament is less than 25% . This is lower than most of our Western European neighbours. The world-wide league table  as at 31 December 2011 produced by the Inter-Parliamentary Union has Rwanda in top place with  56.3% in the Lower House and 38.5% in the Upper House. A number of countries have no women in their lower or single house. Some of those with an upper house include some women in the upper house e.g...

It is more than time that women had a place in the episcopate of the Church of England, which has been discussing this for decades.  The matter of women bishops is once again before General Synod this week. Its members will need much wisdom and grace.  I've been reading some interesting posts on this matter. Here are three that I recommend: I missed it when first published on 24th January, but Andrew Brown's blog post, The Church of England's fudge on female bishops is breathtaking highlights what a ridiculous position the church is in as a result of attempts to hold together those who think women can be bishops and those who think they should not. Forms of concession are on the table for those who cannot accept a woman as bishop, but says Andrew Brown Despite all these concessions, there will be female bishops, as there are already female priests, and these will be treated exactly the same as male ones – except by the men who don't want to treat them equally an...

27 January Is Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK - a day I have not been able to ignore since visiting the Holocaust Museum at Auschwitz in 2006.   Today is an opportunity to  to go on learning the lessons from history, not just from the Holocaust and Nazi persecution in World War 2, but also from subsequent genocides in many places in the world, such as Cambodia, Bosnia, Ruanda, Darfur. This year the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is challenging us to consider what we see and hear around us and to use our voices to speak up against hatred and discrimination. Words are powerful. They can contribute to the common good and built up community. They can also hurt and destroy. Even one voice is powerful. The Speak Up, Speak Out campaign asks us to think about the language we use in person or on line when speaking about other people. Using derogatory terms about another person or group is to dehumanise them. It is a step along a road which at its extreme end leads to genocide. Th...

Perhaps I should entitle this post 'Church of England shoots itself in the foot - again!'  Yesterday I noticed the announcement that the Church of England has appointed a group to advise the House of Bishops on human sexuality. This is part of a process towards a consultation document to be produced by the House of Bishops in 2013. This is intended to propose ways forward following the 'listening process' the church has undertaken since the 1998 Lambeth Conference resolution on Human Sexuality . What I failed to notice yesterday was the composition of the Advisory Group. They are:  Sir Joseph Pilling (former Permanent Secretary Northern Ireland Office) The Rt Revd Michael Perham (Bishop of Gloucester) The Rt Revd Keith Sinclair (Bishop of Birkenhead) The Rt Revd Jonathan Baker (Bishop of Ebbsfleet) The Rt Revd John Stroyan (Bishop of Warwick) Notice anything about this list? Not even 1 woman, not even a 'token' woman. Maybe that's not possible. ...

There's been a lot of comment in the news and blogsphere in the UK about yesterday's judgement in the High Court by Lord Justice Mumby and Justice Beatson. This judgement concerned a joint application for guidance made by Derbyshire County Council and a couple applying to be respite foster carers for that authority. The couple (supported by the Christian Legal Centre) alleged discrimination by Derbyshire CC on the grounds of their Christian beliefs. I've followed the way this case has been reported with considerable interest and not a little anger. My anger is mostly about how the situation seems to have been misrepresented by some of the media e.g. that this Christian couple has been 'banned from fostering', which they have not. No decision has been made about whether or not they will be approved. That was not for the High Court judges to decide. That is for Derbyshire County Council Fostering Panel to decide in relation to the assessment presented to them and ...

Mr and Mrs Bull run a private hotel in Cornwall and because of their Christian values about marriage have long operated a policy of letting their double rooms to (heterosexual) married couples only. This seems to have meant declining to accept many bookings. They did however generally allow 2 people of the same gender to share twin-bedded rooms. There's a certain inconsistency here. Is it really only possible or likely to have sex in a double bed? And did their policy encourage heterosexual (non-married) couples to lie about their status? It was inevitable that sooner or later under the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 they would face a legal challenge. Theirs was a commercial enterprise in the hospitality industry. If you run a business you are bound by legislation that effects how that operation is run. Where we would be if most people chose to ignore laws made by a democratically elected Parliament? It has now been established that the owners of the Chymorv...

How long will it be before women may serve as bishops in the Church of England on equal terms with bishops who happen to be male? 2014 or even later? In July 2008 General Synod (all 3 houses) decided to plan for the consecration of bishops who happen to be female, with safeguards in the form of a code of conduct to protect those who cannot accept the authority of a bishop who is a woman. Yesterday the Revision Committee published proposals (to be brought back to Synod) for statutory provision to be made for those who cannot accept women as bishops (or priests) and those who cannot accept the authority of a male bishop who ordains women. I cannot see how such leglislation can avoid creating a 2-tier episcopacy. I share the disappointment expressed by WATCH (Women and the Church) that this "would be demeaning to women and would fundamentally damage the office of bishop in our church. Were such proposals to pass through our church synods, the Church of England would be...