Tuesday 24 October 2006

The limits of tolerance

Sydney's Anglican Archbishop said yesterday that the world should follow the lead of his diocese in rejecting homosexual people as clergy. (here)
Many will no doubt agree with him, but I find it difficult to do so. While Dr Jensen suggests that many have reached the limits of their tolerance, I would at least want to make the observation that there are numerous aspects of the Diocese of Sydney which suggest that the limits of tolerance are not very large any way.
They are certainly not tolerant of practising homosexuals.
They are not tolerant of women priests, who cannot and are not licensed in that Diocese.
They are even not tolerant of priests who want to wear a certain style of eccelsiastical haberdashery which is common throughout the world.
They do not seem to be tolerant of the cooperative work of the Christian denominations through the work of the Australian Council of Churches.
They do not seem to be particularly tolerant of other Dioceses' right to exercise the same sort of authority in their Diocese as Sydney exercises within its boundaries (in recent years for example "Sydney" style congregations have popped up in neighbouring Dioceses without the authorisation of the local bishop)
While Dr Jensen may think that Sydney's example is one to be emulated, I find that difficult to stomach.

No comments: