Women bishop vote "devastating"

Women bishop vote "devastating" Women bishop vote "devastating"

A DECISION to reject women bishops is “devastating”, “frustrating” and could affect the “credibility” of the Church of England, according to the Bishops of Bath and Wells and Taunton.

The move was voted on by the three houses of the ruling general synod last night.

Although a clear majority of synod members were in favour – 324 as opposed to 122 against – the move needed two-thirds support in all three houses, which it failed to achieve by just four votes in the House of Laity.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Rt Rev Peter Price, said the outcome was “devastating and frustrating”.

He said: “After 12 years of considerable debate, much listening and a deep desire to find a way forward that we can achieve together, the loss of the motion in one of the three houses is deeply disappointing.”

The Bishop of Taunton, Rt Rev Peter Maurice, told the BBC there was a “real issue of the credibility of the church.”

He added: “42 of 45 diocese voted in favour. What does this say about our governing processes?"

Opponents believed approving a change in legislation to allow women bishops would have gone against Christian theology and could have caused divisions within the Church of England.

Comments(17)

cathychiplen says...
1:37pm Wed 21 Nov 12

I think it is appalling that the Church ignores so many of it's members & maintains this outdated attitude. I thought Jesus taught us to treat everyone equally - obviously certain members didn't get that memo. True equality please!

thisandthat says...
2:19pm Wed 21 Nov 12

I am pleased at this outcome. Religion is outdated for intelligent people, however 'we' like to keep up ancient traditions. A woman as a Bishop does not look right. Women can do just as much good as they want without needing to be Bishops. I speak as having been baptised into the Church of England but am now Agnostic.

cathychiplen says...
2:43pm Wed 21 Nov 12

I presume you're male thisandthat?

cathychiplen says...
2:44pm Wed 21 Nov 12

I presume you're male thisandthat?

thisandthat says...
4:19pm Wed 21 Nov 12

thisandthat is female. If you are interested to see more opinions there are a lot of comments on the subject of women wanting to be bishops on MailOnline website.

cathychiplen says...
5:32pm Wed 21 Nov 12

Thank you, I will take a look. I believe for true equality all jobs should be open to both sexes, unless there is a very specific reason for it eg: intimate care. I can't see the justification to bar women from becoming Bishop's.

Useacarpark.com says...
6:51pm Wed 21 Nov 12

Religion should be kept private and not linked to politics and tax payers money. There is no need for it, all it does is cause problems. Can of worms......opened

Dick Turpin Works For Council says...
8:53am Thu 22 Nov 12

Memorandum.
To: CofE
From: Taliban
The Taliban warmly congratulates our brothers in frocks in The CofE on their correct decision about ordination of women bishops. No surrender to women.

That is all!

FreeSpeech? says...
11:24am Thu 22 Nov 12

They don't want women bishops as they might put a stop to all the bum boys and child molesters in the church.

BaldyLocks says...
3:47pm Thu 22 Nov 12

Epistle Of Timothy 2:12-13
"But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet, 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve." (1 Tim. 2:12-13).

Cotfordresident says...
8:06pm Sun 25 Nov 12

I am not religous, but my view is that if it is acceptable to have women as priests at all, it should not matter at what rank

*Flick* says...
9:48am Mon 26 Nov 12

I am religious, and I am a woman.
My view is that women shouldn't expect equal rights when it comes to religion. You cannot change a religion simply because it doesn't suit you any more - that isn't what religion is about.
I would expect equality in other areas of life - but I don't think a religion should change itself to suit me. People just like something to complain about!

Dick Turpin Works For Council says...
10:10am Mon 26 Nov 12

*Flick* wrote:
I am religious, and I am a woman.
My view is that women shouldn't expect equal rights when it comes to religion. You cannot change a religion simply because it doesn't suit you any more - that isn't what religion is about.
I would expect equality in other areas of life - but I don't think a religion should change itself to suit me. People just like something to complain about!
You say that you would expect, Flick, equality in "other areas of life".
However, what if the religious beliefs of a particular group, for instance The Taliban, dictated that you, as a woman, couldn't receive your education or that you should remain covered at all times in public?

Rusty Hinge says...
9:23am Tue 27 Nov 12

thisandthat wrote:
thisandthat is female. If you are interested to see more opinions there are a lot of comments on the subject of women wanting to be bishops on MailOnline website.
Thisandthat, you state that religion is outdated for intelligent people. However, yopu also advise us to read comments on the "Daily Mail" website. Is the Daily Mail a "newspaper" for the intelligent reader?. Back to the point, of course women should be accepted as Bishops, if they fulfil the requirements. We are still living in the Dark Ages, however, in some respects.

*Flick* says...
3:01pm Tue 27 Nov 12

Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
*Flick* wrote: I am religious, and I am a woman. My view is that women shouldn't expect equal rights when it comes to religion. You cannot change a religion simply because it doesn't suit you any more - that isn't what religion is about. I would expect equality in other areas of life - but I don't think a religion should change itself to suit me. People just like something to complain about!
You say that you would expect, Flick, equality in "other areas of life". However, what if the religious beliefs of a particular group, for instance The Taliban, dictated that you, as a woman, couldn't receive your education or that you should remain covered at all times in public?
To put it bluntly - I wouldn't follow a religion that I didn't share the same beliefs and values as. So that would never happen. Also, we do not live under a dictatorship in this country - so your point isn't relavent, in my opinion. As much as I feel sorry for people in other countries suffering at the hands of religious extremists, that isn't happening in this country. Stopping a woman from being a Bishop, is a far cry from stoning someone for not covering themselves in public.
In my religion, women can hold high positions the same as men. I am simply saying, if you don't follow your religion's beliefs, then you aren't really a follower at all. And these women wanting to be Bishops, would already have known they could never be one when joining the church. I stand by my point entirely - but you must understand a person forms their opinions from their own circumstances and experiences?

FreeSpeech? says...
5:54pm Tue 27 Nov 12

*Flick* wrote:
Dick Turpin Works For Council wrote:
*Flick* wrote: I am religious, and I am a woman. My view is that women shouldn't expect equal rights when it comes to religion. You cannot change a religion simply because it doesn't suit you any more - that isn't what religion is about. I would expect equality in other areas of life - but I don't think a religion should change itself to suit me. People just like something to complain about!
You say that you would expect, Flick, equality in "other areas of life". However, what if the religious beliefs of a particular group, for instance The Taliban, dictated that you, as a woman, couldn't receive your education or that you should remain covered at all times in public?
To put it bluntly - I wouldn't follow a religion that I didn't share the same beliefs and values as. So that would never happen. Also, we do not live under a dictatorship in this country - so your point isn't relavent, in my opinion. As much as I feel sorry for people in other countries suffering at the hands of religious extremists, that isn't happening in this country. Stopping a woman from being a Bishop, is a far cry from stoning someone for not covering themselves in public.
In my religion, women can hold high positions the same as men. I am simply saying, if you don't follow your religion's beliefs, then you aren't really a follower at all. And these women wanting to be Bishops, would already have known they could never be one when joining the church. I stand by my point entirely - but you must understand a person forms their opinions from their own circumstances and experiences?
"People in other countries suffering at the hands of religious extremists, that isn't happening in this country" I think perhaps you should watch the news or look at the paper a little more Flick as that is exactly what is happening in this country with more & more frequency.

*Flick* says...
11:12am Wed 28 Nov 12

My apologies 'FreeSpeech?', I was being ignorant and assuming that our country do not stone our women to death... I appreciate the odd family may have mercy killings etc, but it is not as 'rife' as you seem to want me to think it is. We are hardly in the same state as Afghanistan etc are we?
I was not refering to terrorist attacks - I was referring to children being killed for going to school, etc. Which last time I checked, doesn't happen over here?! You have obviously taken my point too seriously and perhaps out of context.
I was simply making a point that I follow the views of my religion - and that I don't expect my religion to change just because it no longer suits me.

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