Should the church have women bishops ?

[modeller]

Two women were offering their opposing views on the radio today.

[goodlife]

To note the way Jesus dealt with women. Ever compassionate and completely balanced in dealing with women, he neither exalted nor belittled them. He repudiated the rabbinic traditions that stripped them of their dignity and that invalidated the Word of God. True Christian treat women with honor and respect, Jesus revealed firsthand how God feels they should be treated. Jesus also set a splendid example for Christian men to imitate.— Mark 10:6-9.

[emmie]

of course they should, will they, unlikely

[horseshoes]

Where will it end though? Before you know it, they'll be playing football and driving buses!

[Kiki-frog]

It is inevitable that the Church will one day have female bishops because of the way society is changing. The main argument against would seem to be that there's no precedent in the New Testament. Well guess what - there wen't any bishops at all for the first few centuries of Christianity anyway, so that's a bit of a spurious argument. There no Biblical evidence for riding bicycles, listening to the radio or playing hopscotch either, but it doesn't automatically make these things bad!

It will happen eventually, but evidently not just yet.

[woofgang]

I reckon this might set the scene for the changes to the General Synod. The folk who thought voting no would make it all go away have no idea what they have opened the door to.

[naomi24]

Goodlife. //To note the way Jesus dealt with women. Ever compassionate and completely balanced in dealing with women, he neither exalted nor belittled them.//

Do you ever actually think about what you're saying? Are women supposed to be grateful for that? And do you really need him to tell you how to 'deal' with women?

[atalanta]

1) Rural parishes realise that the choice is not between female clergy and male clergy, but female clergy or no clergy at all. Many women priests take unpaid posts. Few men do so, especially in country parishes.
2) When the first female anglican priest was ordained by Bishop Hall in wartime in the far east, the then Arch B of C and the Editor of the Church Times complained to each other that there was no scriptural support for opposing such ordination. They wished there were, but there wasn't. Florence Tim Oi Lee went on to be an admirable priest, as she could run the blockade to provide Communion to the faithful when no man could have done so.
3) there are some excellent reasons for allowing exceptions to the equality laws, such as only having women researchers in laboratories where work is being done on the Y chromosome. But wanting to prevent women from being promoted is not one of them.

[maggiebee]

No strong feelings about women bishops one way or another but was just thinking.............if all the women who attend my church stopped going along on a Sunday, the minister would be very lonely. Only about 5 men in the congregation and they are probably only there because their wives go.

[woofgang]

"there are some excellent reasons for allowing exceptions to the equality laws, such as only having women researchers in laboratories where work is being done on the Y chromosome."
Atalanta is that to prevent contamination or for safety or for some other reason?

[percypineapple]

If we can have woman as the head of state, our queen does a splendid job, why can't we have a female bishop? is it difficult? does christ only talk to men? will it stop child abuse in the church, is that why they have voted NO?

[DTCwordfan]

Goodlife - cut the crap, there are so many sites out there with the same spew as you, word for word, or almost.......you try and get ABers to believe what you are regurgitating - well the majority of them have brains, you know. It is idiotic and puerile in what you are attempting to do.

Be original at least..

for example: http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110715173933AADY0Qc

and just google his "text"

[woofgang]

DT, time for some antacid and a pink pill I think....

[DTCwordfan]

yes I agree, woofgang, re the repetitious Jehovah crap that emanates from this so called Witness.........not even an attempt at originality in thought and opinion, shame for him that may be.

And 600mg of Ibuprofen, 3 times a day in addition to your remedy................

[woofgang]

lol, what cheesed off in the secret meetings thread?

[DaisyNonna]

Women are people. Not second class, not first class, but people. Equal with men. Why should not a woman become a Bishop within the Church? Same responsibility as a male. Same belief as a male. Same ability to teach and preach the Gospel as a male. Or is God frightened of women, His creation?

[DTCwordfan]

don't be a berk, woofgang - look at the time of the postings.

Daisy, I agree with you, I am in a rural parish and I (we) find it unbelievable that the objections have come from urbanite AngloCatholics - so discriminatory and almost misogynist in nature (only abated by the women that voted for it!)

[woofgang]

I can't, they take the times off when they remove the post, one of them was labelled as you, and I know that one of them was mine commenting that you'd had a post removed....

[woofgang]

god isn't daisynonna but it seems that other women (and men) are!

[DTCwordfan]

so what is done is done, so why raise it here then?

[woofgang]

just wondered if what cheesed you off was the same as what was yanking my strings....