Disappointed

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 20 November 2012 19:25:13

Women can wait

I'm disappointed that the Church of England has failed to pass the motion to bring in women bishops. Here is the Synod vote : Bishops: 44 in favour, 3 against, 2 abstentions Clergy: 148 in favour, 45 against, 0 abstentions Laity: 132 in favour, 74 against, 0 abstentions. So that's 88% of bishops, 76% of clergy and 64% of laity in favour, unfortunately this was short of the two thirds majority in the house of laity needed to bring about the change. When polled earlier this year the laity (not the house of laity) were overwhelmingly in favour of women Bishops. The house of laity has let them down. I have followed the debate, and given the time given over to each side you would be think that the split was closer to 50/50. As it is look at the vote, the Church of England is overwhelmingly in favour of women bishops. Even in the house of laity. But the rules are that there has to be a two thirds majority. 64% is just short. But it isn't bad. Parliament passes bills by less than 1% at times, They dream of a majority as high as 64%. When polled in advance of the July synod the laity were overwhelmingly in favour of women priests. The vote in the House of Laity does not reflect this,even though it was a majority. If the votes of the House of Laity reflected those of the laity they are supposed to represent the motion would have passed. Some of the people speaking against the motion were in favour of women priests, but were scared that some from the minority against might leave the church. But what if now some of the the disappointed minority leave, won't this be worse?