Today’s Guardian reports that a Church of England vicar in Kent has told his congregation that, “Wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.” That apparently includes keeping silent when men are talking. He stopped short of saying that women should keep silent when being beaten or raped by their husbands, but that’s exactly what his words imply.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what the right to discriminate means. When bishops argue that they should be allowed to hate gays because their religion demands that they do so, it opens the door for them to claim the right to hate anyone for any reason as long as they can find some obscure verse in the Old Testament that justifies it.
Thankfully this idiot is by no means typical of CofE vicars. But he is typical of the reactionary element in the church that the bishops were pandering to when they sought to torpedo the Equality Bill.
I was a little depressed by the last sentance of the article;
“The words may also shock Dr Rowan Williams, head of the Church of England, who holds progressive views”
Equal rights for women is ‘progressive’, now? And he “may” be shocked!?
Equal rights for women is indeed within the political movement called Progressive, and I’m sure he *will* be shocked. The ‘may’ is down to the reporter.
Well, this is straight from St Paul in the NT, but yeah. Your point is quite correct nevertheless.
(Eph 5:22 “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”)
(1 Cor 14:34 “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.
35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.” — so “in church” specifically rather than any time men are talking, but this is probably what the bishop was thinking of. Paul’s context is men freely prophesizing in church.)
(I just happen to be reading a lot of the Epistles ATM for a different reason…)
Oh, I forgot to say, Paul also has very specific condemnations of homosexuality (male AND female, which the OT I think doesn’t mention), and of men dressing as women and vice versa. Can’t quite be bothered looking for the quotes now, but basically, no need to go to the OT when Paul kindly gives bigots so much fuel for discrimination…