I don't blog much these days, and to find myself doing it twice in quick succession is quite a thing. I feel, however, that I need to clarify my own position after the comments that were left about the Translation of Bishop Kevin, and it's better done here, on a fresh page as it were.
My first point concerns the etiquette of online discourse. There are a couple of anonymous comments on the previous post, of varying degrees of bitterness and hostility, which digitally competent friends suggested were attempting to hijack my post for their own ends and which should therefore be deleted. And yes, I considered this course. Although I know who wrote one of these comments, it is nevertheless cowardly to refuse to identify oneself with one's point of view. It may be incompetence that makes someone unable to pin an identity to a response, but nothing stops anyone from saying in the body of their reply who they are and what their interest is.
My reason for leaving these replies is that they show what the church is up against. The diocese of Argyll and The Isles covers not only a huge geographical area but also a vast range of different attitudes, some of which belong firmly in the mid-20th century. They also show, I am afraid, another face of what puts people off the church - the all-too-human side of the church.
There have been moments in the past week when I have felt like chucking it all in - but have been so supported by the clearly Christ-filled responses on various media and in private messages that I know giving up is not the answer.
Please note that there will be no more bitter ripostes published on this or the last post.
Good Evening, Having read "Mopping up" I am distressed that you consider my comment to be bitter, in writing it I was trying to draw attention to the medieval nature of our church's governance. My comment was accompanied by my name, I did not speak from the dark. Church should be place where those of faith gather to celebrate their lives in Christ, but sadly it has strayed so far from this ideal, but there is nothing new under God's heaven, even Jesus condemned the church of his day with his bitter comments on the fruitless fig tree. On lighter note I see from your profile that you are in Dunoon, this town has a special place in my heart, it being my home town. As a child in the fifties I would often times fall asleep to the voice of the Cloch Lighthouse braying out in the storms of winter
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