The Church of England was thrown into turmoil recently after the General Synod voted against the appointment of women bishops. The measure was passed by the Synod’s houses of bishops and clergy, but failed to secure the two-thirds majority also required in the house of laity, by just six votes: in total, 324 members of the Synod backed the change and 122 voted against it. The decision, which followed 12 years of legal wrangling, was arrived at despite the support of 42 of the Church’s 44 dioceses, and of Justin Welby, who replaces Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury next year. (The Week)
All over the world diehards have taken over organized religion, whether it is the hard right bishops of American Catholicism or muftis, mullahs and preachers in Pakistan. This is just another wrecking action perpetrated by reactionaries. I happen to know one of the ladies tipped to be maybe the first Anglican bishop. It seems impossible to object to her. She is open- minded, well educated and possesses common sense
Epicurus would almost certainly have supported women bishops. Being rational, he might also have worked out, without the benefit that we have from modern biology, that homosexuals are born that way, not made. He was the most inclusive and un-judgmental of men.
Epicurus would, I am sure welcome other points of view, not only for the sake of balance, but also for the sake of rational thinking.
There is some evidence, though unproven, that Jesus could have been an Essene. The Essenes were members of a Jewish apocalyptic sect who took themselves out into the desert and lived a frugal and celibate lives. They believed that a ‘Teacher of Righteousness’ was to come who would herald the end of the world . (The end of the Romans, I wonder?!) That Jesus was, at one time, a member of this community is hinted at by His teachings. One example is that which is known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer”. This has been found to have originated with the Essenes.
My point is that if Jesus had been an Essene He would not have been married because of the culture of celibacy practiced by the sect.
I will be able to elucidate more when I have finished listening to a course of lectures on this which is about the finding and study of the Dead Sea Scrolls which were hidden from the Romans by the Essenes in AD 70, and found 2000 later. !