Thread by @MattDrapps

The Bishops who have signed the (letter? document?) unnamed (unless it is: "The Church of England's Doctrine of Marriage" full stop), undated document 📄 on Straight Supremist Marriage

#Fulham #Horsham #Coventry #Woolwich #Lancaster #Rochester #Hereford #Carlise #Leicester #Chichester #Guildford #Sheffield and #Southwell & #Nottingham

On one level, it is nice (?) to FINALLY have CLARITY which is one of the central demands of LGBTQI+ people in the #churchofengland. Tell us where we are Safe. Tell us where we are not. Step out. Be brave. They have been. (congrats, finally)

#churchclarity

These Bishops are very clear here from the "title" on, this is THE doctrine of marriage. There is no other. This is a: "relatively short theological
summary of the doctrine of marriage as the Church of England has received it."

They did not have to sign it, so this is a voluntary choice to openly express their post LLF views. And they are entitled to. Thank you, in fact. They've made it clear now: Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, as well as the sidelining of Intersex people as a footnote is the way

*for them. for those Bishops I mean.

This is a very personal message, chosen, not demanded. That's how I read it.

I don't know the other Bishops like I know +Pete. I was among the behind the scenes organisers of the protest which prevented the Bishop who does not ordain women from becoming +Sheffield. Very small part, but head cheerleader. 📣

Read it here: thestar.co.uk/news/video-why…

So, I've always felt a connection and somewhat responsible for his position. Plus, I met him several times when he held his away day at the hotel where I work (before he knew about my experience of church abuse, though they tried to push through and hold it there after he knew.)

If I hadn't come clean about my experiences of homophobia, exorcism and volunteer abuse within the Sheffield Diocese to my bosses, and they hadn't protected me by cancelling the conference, I'd have been forced to feed him breakfast while his lawyers tried to fight my claims.

They made 0 attempt to cancel the booking themselves and to preserve me from having to go directly to the top bosses with my full story (thank god they already knew it all because, unlike the church, they are my family true and true.)

My sister wrote him an open letter at the time.

He replied. However

However, his PA asked me to come out about my abuse to my employer:

Note The Bishop of Sheffield shares my frustration at the length of time the investigation is taking, but this email is November 21. Its now Feb 2023 and the investigation is not complete.

That said, I have had pleasent interactions with +Pete, despite the time he inadvertently made a homophobic "closeted vicars" joke on twitter.

Only last week he assured me the LLF Bishops statement would not 'undermine the safety of lgbt+ people'.

I'm even working with his team at this time to reduce Conversion Therapy Practices in Sheffield in a secret project.

As you can imagine, his signature is a bit of a shock!

So, what's in the doc? I've had a read.

It's about: mystical union, straight supremacy (only straight males in couples can accurately represent God), ableist and anti-disability, anti-women if you read the rest of the Bible passages quoted in the doc, and openly homophobic, biphobic and transphobic.

Cloying phrases, throughout, attempt to present as Not Homophobic Actually, for example: "Without seeking to diminish the value of many committed same-sex relationships, for which there is much to give thanks..." we find ourselves [anti-gay]

We're not homophobic, they insist, we are just homophobic which we arnt but we are, but we are NOT homophobic, but we are.

I'm put in mind of Basil Faulty.

First of all, they say, marriage is a sign. (But Gay Marriage isn't.)

Okay, and 👐 lots of things are SIGNS such as crosses, bread and wine, and robes, but they arnt exclusive, and they arnt harmful. Harming people to preserve vague imagery* isn't it.

*and it is vague because telling someone, "Christ and the church is like marriage" isn't actually a clear image because everyone views marriage through different lenses. Rather, marriage can be LIKE Christ and the Church and this extends to Gay Marriage, or no marriage.

Marriage, they say, should be like Ephesians 5 (Abusive???)

O no sorry actually, they cut all the stuff about Wives Submitting to Husbands because they either:
Don't want to be honest about their opinion on it,
Or,
THEY can pick and choose the Bible but only they can.

Marriage, they say, should bring creativity into the world*

*exclusively by biological breeding

Not only do they create two categories:
Straight and Not Straight

They create:
Straight with Children, and everyone else

Only one can represent Christ, they claim, sounding frankly like n[redacted]zis

Marriage is a sign,
Marriage is Anti-women,
Marriage is Ableist,
What's next?

The existence of Trans and Intersex people are both given a brief mention with no depth, and only in relation to a very clear implication that when they say "men and women" they mean "not-trans men and women" and "must look like a magazine perfect carbon copy man and woman."

Non-binary people and bisexuality don't get a mention, of course.

Now they mention Jesus once and especially Matthew 9, however, once again they cleverly cut the Scripture to miss the bits they don't like: Divorce, and Eunochs.

When asked about Marriage, Jesus in typical Jesus fashion, tipped the whole thing on its head by referencing Eunochs. In Isaiah 56, God says: To the Eunochs, I will give within my temple a memorial and a name better than (biological) sons and daughters.

By careful cutting of Scripture, but appealing to mystical signs, by exhausting biological breeding, unfortunately, these Bishops have once again stated clearly:

Only cishet male and female relationships with the capacity and choice to biologically give birth are "real" relationships in God's eyes, and everything else is not as Holy.

To which I say: Good Luck.

@threadreaderapp Please unroll thank you.