What is in Kelvin's Head?

Calling out Homophobia in the Church of England

15/08/2014

It is very, very rare that I accuse someone of homophobia. Those who know me in Scotland, who happen to hold different views to me will know that it simply isn’t an accusation that I throw around.

However, I did make that accusation last night, against the Director of Communications of the Church of England.

Here’s the conversation. You need to know that Patrick Strud is the journalist to whom Christian rock musician Vicky Beeching told her coming out story which was printed in the Independent. Rev Arun Arora is the Director of Communications for the Church of England. Andrew Forshew-Cain is a priest in the Church of England.

In responding to a tweet about Vicky Beeching and the future of the Church of England, Arun Arora said that she was welcome in the church because all are broken. This is an entirely inadequate response to someone who has just come out. It is fine to say that all are broken – it isn’t fine to link that brokenness to the identity of groups of people who know prejudice at first hand. It wouldn’t be acceptable to say that black people are welcome in church because everyone is broken and so they are welcome – that would be racist. It is the same with those of us who are gay.

I think that Andrew Forshew-Cain and I might well be regarded as people well qualified to know what church sponsored homophobia looks like.

I’ve woken up today to many posts on facebook and on twitter from people agreeing that this tweet was unacceptable.

I’m absolutely prepared to agree that Arun Arora did not mean to be offensive in his post. However, he needs to learn from the people on facebook and twitter who have found it offensive.

Today belongs to @vickybeeching. Tomorrow the Church of England can decide: include gay people, celebrate diversity, or fall into obscurity.

— Patrick Strudwick (@PatrickStrud) August 14, 2014

@PatrickStrud that's a false dichotomy. Vicki is as much part of us as any who knows brokenness, is flawed, has hopes and follows Christ.

— Arun Arora (@RevArun) August 14, 2014

(more…)

arun arora, Church of England, homophobia, LGBT, Vicky Beeching

8 responses to “Glasgow Rain”

Stewart

18/09/2006

This is only a passing shower – the real rain is still to come 🙂

Great for filling my water butts though!!

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Ruth

19/09/2006

No, according to the papers today it is to be scorchio on Thursday – 82 degrees or something similar. Oh no, sorry, that would be everywhere else in Britain apart from the West Coast. sorry!

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Elizabeth

19/09/2006

Yup.

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Pamela Murphy

19/09/2006

It was even worse down in Greenock last night. The nights really are fair drawing in now!!

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mysterious stranger

19/09/2006

I really like the new look ,especially the pictures on the page headers very arty.Unfortunately I am one of the rare breed that use Macs.OOOPS!I can see the title of your daily blogs but no text appears.I can even post a comment.

I am able to access the site by PC as well so I can catch up but I thought I’d better let you know.

Rain has reached us fueled by a vicious South Easterly gale.

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Stewart

20/09/2006

Left Glasgow Airport at 9am this morning in torrential rain. The sun is currently shining in Gloucester (@4:45pm) – now was there not a nursery rhyme about a Doctor going to Gloucester in a shower of rain?

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Brian

21/09/2006

(Very) Reverend rainmaker.
The rain seems to have coincided with an upsurge in the number of native American musicians in the city centre, although I think last year some of them were playing ‘The Flight of the Condor’ and claiming to be from Peru.

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Howard

21/09/2006

You’ve seen nothing like the weather in the Isle of Man in the last 48 hours. Storm force and severe storm force gales and torrential rain have forced ferries to be cancelled, and there is more severe weather forecast for tonight. It prevented us from visiting the adjacent island (England) today.

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