Thread by @MattDrapps

I'm back to my live read of Bishop Steven Croft's booklet about the Church of England potentially becoming more inclusive of gay marriage and relationships.

Hopefully can finish tonight.

Previous thread is here, which went into the Bible stuff. I think this final section is the practical stuff. Let's see.

https://twitter.com/MattDrapps/status/1590011739277758464?t=PVZpqNt3TeHI1MV0aw0ykA&s=19

Part of this section is about keeping the Global Church together, and suggestion the whole church is discussing LGBTQI+ existence at the moment.

Frankly, it's amazing we are surviving at the moment on the UK, and I know it's even harder in some places worldwide.

The idea our lives are being discussed and dissected locally and worldwide is, weird, isn't it.

And as the world cup goes to Qatar, it highlights on a world stage that LGBTQI+ characters might be showing up more on tv than ever before, but our global rights are still not set.

I know people get bored of queer folk mentioning their existence constantly, but we are living in really scary times.

It might be easy for commentators to take shots at foreign countries, but we also need to look at where we are locally. The way the UK government is -

- being influenced towards cancelling the Ban on Conversion Therapy Practices, the way Trans people are being demonised daily in the press and scapegoated in Parliament by politicians like Miriam Cates, and the way the "Church" loop-hole out of basic human rights and HR laws.

I don't know how you can expect to Unify two points so vastly far apart. At some point, we need to say, THIS thing is wrong and we will say that put loud and stand with it and suffer the consequences. NEITHER side will do this atm.

We also need to recognise, when we see Archbishop Justin speaking, there is the possibility of continued known or unknown influence of the IRWIN camps, and the 'cult' of masculinity which went along with that. Can't be fully separated.

Ten years this, ten years that. Darling I am BEGGING YOU to go back fifty, sixty a hundred years from time to time. Mary Benson, Robert Wood, many others, paved the way for alternatives YEARS AGO. #queerhistory

Don't give me just TEN YEARS. Nonsense.

This really is big, this is important, this is clarity. Thank goodness he didn't go with his original plan to go in half-assed with a short and long term plan, making this clear call is the way.

Someone said, who cares what a Bishop says? Do you need their approval?

Listen, the Church of England is not just a religious organisation, it is intimately intertwined with the politics, setting culture, Royal Family, House of Lords, employment, provision of services.

Even things like accessing Food Banks or other services offered at church locations should be SAFE TO DO for LGBTQI+ people without fear of being forced into Conversion Therapy Practices, or of being tortured in other ways, or being afraid the providers think you're perverts.

I can't tell you how many volunteers, employees and potential priests I know who lost their job opportunities within churches because they were not allowed to follow their conscience on regards to their own relationships, or views.

I disagree with these three. You can't argue against spiritual abuse of LGBTQI+ people and then argue other people should be able to continue abusing us. 🚮 No thanks. Don't care about unity myself.

Frankly, this paragraph is DISGUSTING. Who wrote it? A lawyer for those churches? It's vile. Get out. There is blame for our pain to be laid and it should be laid where it belongs at the feet of those who abused us. Shut up.

That paragraph is so icky it makes my skin crawl.

This is what the spirit sayeth to the churches. 🙏 👏 Amen.

@threadreaderapp if you would be so kind as to unroll me