Anglicans May Cut Women Bishops' Powers

In yet another sign that the objections to gay Christians and clergy within the reactionary elements of the Anglican Communion is just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger anti-modernity drive, news reports are indicating that women bishops may be facing a reduction of their authority within the Anglican Church. Homophobes like Nigeria's Archbishop Peter Akinola (pictured at left) - who may have order the massacre of hundreds of Muslims - want to take the church back to a time when male chauvinism reigned and women were supposed to be at home pregnant and house keeping. Gays are just the canaries in the coal mine in terms of the goals of these Neanderthals. Here are highlights on the direction the Anglican Church may be going in its rush to return to the Dark Ages:

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The Church of England could restrict the powers of some women bishops under a plan designed to end a rift between traditionalists who want to keep the all-male senior clergy, and liberals demanding equality. The proposal has reignited the long-running debate over a supposed ecclesiastical "stained-glass ceiling" that stops women from attaining the most senior roles in the church. Along with homosexual bishops and same-sex marriages, the ordination of women is among the most divisive issues facing the Anglican Communion, which has 77 million members worldwide.

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While Anglicans in the United States, Canada and Australia already have women bishops, conservatives in many other parts of the Communion strongly oppose them. They say there is nothing in the Bible or church history to support women bishops. Liberals, who argue that women should be treated equally, said the latest proposals to allow women bishops, albeit with reduced powers in some areas, risked creating a two-tier church.

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[T]he Revision Committee, has voted to change the rules to remove certain powers from female bishops in dioceses where they face opposition from traditionalists. Specially-appointed male bishops would assume those powers and the new system would be written into British law, the committee said in a statement on Thursday. "Where there are parishes who don't recognize women bishops and want to look to another bishop, that diocesan bishop's duties and responsibilities to those parishes would be reduced automatically," a Church of England spokesman said. "Those duties would pass to this other bishop."

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The committee has yet to decide which powers would be removed, although reports suggested they could include things like the right to hold confirmation services. The committee's proposals must first win the support of regional church groups before being put to the General Synod, the church's decision-making body, and then parliament.

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It is a sad statement when the leaders of a major religion make prejudice and bigotry the hallmark of the denomination rather than preaching the Gospel message of love of God and love of neighbor. It is this kind of thinking that will be the death of Christianity in the modern world and leave it relegated to the ignorant and uneducated parts of the world.