Gay priest forced to wait for verdict in church discrimination tribunal – Guardian

1 thought on “Gay priest forced to wait for verdict in church discrimination tribunal – Guardian”

1. Again, if he is otherwise qualified, Jeremy Pemberton should be an NHS chaplain with the Church of England’s gratitude and blessing. So far as I know, this is the only thing on which he and I have ever agreed.

   His case there reminds me of certain bakers, flower arrangers, etc here in America who should likewise be free to practise their professions without harrassment despite being outspoken about views on marriage that were ultimately disfavoured. Both here and there, Caesar’s consideration of same sex marriage has pitted Christians concerned for justice in the wider society against Christians honouring the Creator’s ordering of human life in the new creation. Christ taught both, and we should refuse to be divided among ourselves. It is hard to shake hands with clenched fists.

   As I understand it, his ejection from his ministerial post was thought at the time to be a matter of discipline for him (ie don’t defy the Church) and of doctrinal clarity for all (ie marriage and civil partnership differ). Perhaps this is something hard to see from across the pond, but is not obvious to me that this rationale can be a permanent one, or that it can be applied with the same plausibility to NHS chaplaincy.

   Evangelicals both here and there should be clear that our true objective with respect to marriage is a narrow one: conserving a state of life in which men and women are inspired by Christ’s love for the Church, and through which the Church recognises her duty of fidelity to Christ. In Jeremy’s case, the Church’s internal discipline may possibly have achieved that, but pursuing him even to the door of the NHS has probably not made any of this clearer to anyone.

   That went too far. The decision should be reversed whatever the outcome of judicial proceedings.

   St James i 20

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