04/02/2023
Tom Packer writing for the website of the Student Christian Movement has a message of inclusion and love for LGBTQIA+ Christians, saying “(we) remind them that whatever the position of the Church of England, that they are loved and truly equal members of the body of Christ.” Mr Packer writes “We believe in a God who does not bless his children from a distance, but who lived amongst us and blesses the meek, marginalised, and persecuted.” He also says “We welcome the progress that has been made with regards to the recommendation that Anglican Churches in England bless same-sex civil partnerships and marriages; this is surely an improvement in the Church’s position on LGBTQ+ people and relationships. We welcome too the planned disposal of Issues in Human Sexuality, a document which represented a cruel and archaic way of viewing LGBTQ+ people. However, there remain some glaring inconsistencies in the bishops’ recommendations. In one breath, LGBTQ+ people are said to be precious and created in the image of God, but in the next they are said not to be equal enough to marry in the Church. In one breath the Church apologises for its mistreatment and exclusion of LGBTQ+ people, but in the next it recommends the continued exclusion of the very same people”.
