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Church of England
March 04 2017 By dvirtue Lambeth Palace letter suggests 'indistinguishable' blessing after same-sex marriage

The letter was written to Dr Richard and Matthew Edwards, who married last year in Birmingham Register Office. Both are members of the PCC at St Paul's, Birmingham. Dr Edwards is the treasurer, and Matthew Edwards the vice-chair and a churchwarden. They have been together for five years, and got engaged in 2015. Before they married, they wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury for guidance.

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February 25 2017 By dvirtue Opponent of female priests urged to decline bishop of Sheffield post

Percy claims there is a "substantial amount of resistance building up" to North's appointment, which he says would "represent the toleration of gender-based sectarianism".

In 2012, North stepped aside from his appointment as bishop of Whitby after protests over his opposition to women in the ministry. He is currently the suffragan bishop of Burnley; Sheffield, a diocesan post, is a promotion.

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February 21 2017 By dvirtue Memo To Bewildered Bishops - Please Be Shepherds, Not Sheep

We all know the seemingly irreconcilable theological positions of those who, on the one hand, believe sexuality to be a matter akin to the civil rights struggle, votes for women and so on -- and those who, on the other, believe it is an issue in which the authority of the Bible and people's eternal salvation are at stake.

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February 20 2017 By dvirtue UK: Top bishop's diocese is under fire over a child sex abuse 'cover-up' after a trainee vicar raped two Christian girls

But the diocese did not take any action, saying it could cause further upset to the victims.

Oxford-educated Timothy Storey was jailed for 15 years last April after a court heard how he groomed hundreds of children on Facebook, using his position as children's pastor to prey on 'weak, insecure girls'.

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February 18 2017 By dvirtue Historical basis for policy of 'radical inclusion' in the Church of England

'Baal and Yahweh offer complimentary insights into the oneness of worship we are all seeking. Both faiths believe in a supreme god in whose image we are made and which excludes no one. We celebrate our common origin, as indicated by the names themselves ('Lord'). It is acknowledged that Baal worship involves the use of images which traditional Yahwism forbids. But it must be remembered that such images are not crude primitive idols or manifestations of deity, but aids in devotion.

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February 17 2017 By dvirtue On Synod, sexuality and not "Taking note"

43 to 1 amongst the bishops (but it turns out the 1 against was an error, and one abstention was not registered);
93 to 100 with 2 abstentions amongst the clergy; and
106 to 83 with 4 abstentions amongst the laity.
Because of the clergy vote, the motion to 'Take note' was not passed.

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February 17 2017 By dvirtue Church of England gay marriage vote thrown into chaos after members 'get confused and press wrong button'

Rev Peter Ould, of Canterbury, said he had heard from other synod members who had also voted "no" incorrectly.

He added: "I've spoken to two members of the house of laity who were confused, one of whom was very clear that he voted the wrong way. It would need four members of the house of clergy to say that they made a mistake for the result to change.

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February 17 2017 By dvirtue Statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury following today's General Synod

How we deal with the real and profound disagreement - put so passionately and so clearly by many at the Church of England's General Synod debate on marriage and same-sex relationships today - is the challenge we face as people who all belong to Christ.

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February 16 2017 By dvirtue Archbishop of Canterbury's address to General Synod

We live and think synodically, in terms of parties, procedures and attitudes. We work on winning votes which means we develop well organised parties which meet and co-ordinate speeches and responses even to quite routine bits of legislation. We may not be at the stage of the House of Commons, with three line whips, but we have some resemblance to the Lords, with party groups and a mass of cross bench members whose vote is far less predictable.

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February 15 2017 By dvirtue UK: Priest Threatens Resignation if forced to give Communion to Lesbian Couple

Karen argues that what she and Anna are doing is no more than what is permitted by Issues in Human Sexuality, issued as long ago as 1991, and reiterated in the Pastoral Statements of the House of Bishops ever since, namely that lay people may dissent from the traditional teaching of the Church and continue to be welcomed as members of the Body of Christ in sacramental life. She says that Julie has no power to bar them from receiving Communion.

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