The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Sydmey Diocese's push to include people it consider "adulterers" - which will presumably include any who's been divorced and then remarried - in a national register of sex offenders, alongside pedophiles and those alleged to be "invoking God or religion to exploit children". In a world where everything's black & white, guess it's just safer to paint everything black, hey guys?
"We don't want to go snooping around in people's bedrooms," said Mr Phillip Gerber, the Diocese's Director of the professional standards.
Quite right, Phil; it's not a job you want to do, and quite frankly you detest it, but hell, someone's got to do it, and it's not your fault if sometimes it's just the teensiest bit exciting, is it?
The one bright side is that now an awful lot of straight people are going to experience the innuendo, spying and black-listing that GLBT Christians have experienced for years. So it looks like the growing army of the excluded and discriminated against is about to get a whole lot bigger - which isn't going to make the Matthian's fight to defend their bastion of hatred and exclusivity any easier.
Billy Brag deservers the last word here:
Thursday, 25 October 2007
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6 comments:
Brilliant! I didn't know that song, but what a wonderful anthem...
What do you think they will do to clergy who aren't married but are dating? (Or is that even allowed in Sydney?)
Will there have to be a chaperon on every date? Some kind of monitor attached to your clothes to make sure they aren't removed? The mind boggles...
Judging from a comment on the HoB/D listserv, the soi-disant orthodox over here in the U.S. don't seem to know or understand the difference between adultery and fornication, so--if the Aussies have the same deficiency--yes, single clergy are at risk as well.
There are very few single clergy: those divorcing are removed and/or "encouraged" to resign, any who become widowed are normally transferred out of parish into administrative roles at head office, and virtually no single men are ever ordained - "could be something untoward about them, you know."
A sad by product of this is the rush of whirlwind marriages that take place in ordinand's last two years of study - men are told that they won't be considered suitable to proceed unless they are "suitably married", so the next star-struck youth leader who smiles twice at them soons finds herself joined in epediantly-holy matrimony.
... you can imagine how well most of these marriage last...
So where do divorced clergy go? Do they transfer to another diocese or just give up Holy Orders?
In my case it was to a psychiatric ward before spending 18 months as a bicycle courier (an absurdly dangerous job that was more fun than you could ever imagine - as long as it wasn't raining ;-)
Mostly they just try and go back to whatever it was they did before they undertook 4 years seminary + however many years they lasted in parish. Other dioceses tend to be a bit dubious about Sydney clergy, and for a lot of guys it isn't an option anyway: remember they've often believed since childhood that believers elswhere or in other traditions aren't Christians, so ministry in a place with things like candles and vestments just isn't an something they can imagine.
... and more than a few kill themselves, or make a terrible mess of themselves trying to.
(((Alcibiades)))
That is pure evil. I am always astonished by how that crowd seems to be completely unacquainted with the concepts of mercy and grace.
I swear I believe they really worship Moloch.
I am so happy for you that you have found a healthier place to follow your calling. And congrats on the upcoming bebe!
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