Why the women bishops legislation shouldn't be changed

Miranda Threlfall-Holmes

In the next few weeks, the House of Bishops will be meeting to discuss whether to try to 'tweak' the delicately balanced compromise legislation to allow women to be bishops. Why don't I think this would be a good idea? Because any further changes are likely to make the legislation pointless, by undermining the legitimacy of having women as bishops at the same time as saying they can be. How patronising!

Those opposed to women's ordination - and, worryingly, many who say they support it - seem to think that this is just about a few ambitious women wanting the pointy hat. How hopelessly, and sadly, wrong that is. This is about the church finally and unambiguously proclaiming that women and men are both equally made in God's image and able to relate to God in the same way. That gender is not a fundamental dividing line, let alone one that necessitates a hierarchical relationship, between two fundamentally different parts of humanity...

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