Mood:
cheekyThe Pope has told the Archbishop of Canterbury that permitting openly gay clergy in the Anglican Communion will harm Christian unity. This is a slap at the Episcopalian Church's new Archbishop of New Hampshire, who is openly gay. (The Church of England and the Episcopalian Church are linked through the Anglican Communion, which, I guess, is something like the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution.)
Naturally, Il Papa is right, but that's only because he is Mr. Catholicism. Of course he wants to see Christian unity, but that's not where the Christian religion is at its best. It is far more successful when no one can get along and they all do their own thang.
Why's that? Well, because a lot of Christians want women to belong in the Church ---and at every level. The women who don't want women in the Church are just saying that because the Pope says so. Those are "good Catholics." Now, go ask a Protestant woman what she thinks. She's going to tell you that women do belong in the leadership positions of the Christian faith ---and what's the matter with you? What, half of the world's population is disqualified from leading a congregation or ministering to the wretched or witnessing to the unconverted because they're female and Paul said no to that? Foolishness. Protestants accept that women have more than one role to play in their faith.
Okay, so what's another reason to want to keep Christianity splintered and disunited (besides annoying the old pollock)? Because lots of Christians see nothing sinful or wrong with homosexuals. What are these leaders of Christianity thinking when they deny their gay brothers and sisters the right to worship alongside them and to participate like anyone else? It's retarded. You want to see the true ecumenical spirit? Stop denying women and gays their rights as Christians. Accept them as they are and get healthy. Christianity would have split into its various denominations a long time ago, anyway, but the Vatican should never have turned against marriage for its priests and it should never have turned a blind eye to its many gay clergy and it should never have waited so long to acknowledge the pedophilic problems in its own house.
Remember: ecclesiastical unity may be a political strength, but it is an enemy to human liberty. Theocracies have served good purposes in human history (e.g., Ancient Israel, Puritan Massachusetts, etc.), but they have also become fascist terror-states (e.g., the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Ayatollah's Iran).
Say no to the Pope and say yes to wives for priests and to women and queers in the pulpit.