Comment on the vote at General Synod about Women Bishops

The issue in front of the Church of England's General Synod today is not simply about whether we have bishops who are female. It would be simpler if we existed in a manner where we could deal with each single issue in separation from all other issues, but it would be an automated kind of existence that would come well short of being human in society.

What is being voted on, as well as women becoming bishops, is whether those who will be marginalized by holding to a deeply held belief (against having women as bishops) will have enough support and provision from the Church of England, which prides itself on attempting to accommodate for a breadth of views.

As people, casting votes, in one of the three houses (laity, clergy and bishops) of the Synod think about fairness to all and a concern for those different to themselves, I hope that some of the further ironies of the situation do not get lost.

Irony 1: the high level of reporting on this vote will suggest to many that the Church, by its struggle to handle what may appear to be a very simple topic, is consequently marginalizing and excluding of ordinary people who cannot understand the problem;

Irony 2: although there is no legislation required for people from black and minority ethnic groups, who are male, to be made bishop, there's very low representation from these groups as deacons and priests and even more so at the level of bishop;

Irony 3: although there is legislation to stop people being priests, deacons or bishops who are in lesbian or gay relationships (to be precise, where sexual activity takes place), there are many talented people serving the church who are priests and deacons (and perhaps at times there have been bishops too) who have had to keep at least some truth about their loving relationship an entire secret;

Irony 4: there are several, well known trans-gendered priests serving in the Church of England, no legislation was needed for that, so I guess no legislation would be needed for a bishop who was on a trans-gender journey.

Being aware of these ironies hopefully keeps us aware that there is both irony and permanent reality for the Church of England in all its attempts to be a genuine, distinctive and confused sub-section of the Anglican Communion within the world church. All of this irony began with Jesus finding that although all sorts of women and men had a longing to follow him, this did not lead to an immediate resolution of everyone's differences as a consequence. That's what's animating and irritating about the messiness of our humanity, our society, our churches and the Christian faith.