The Very Sad Archbishop of Canterbury and the Case of the Woman's Mitre.

Once again Rowan Williams has managed to cover his Church and himself with ignominy. Although I am an atheist, I am proud of the progressive Christian heritage that contributed to the development of our brilliant Western culture. Williams is not a progressive. Instead of going with the times he has opposed the ordination of gays and is so bothered by the creation in America of women bishops that when one, Katherine Jefferts Schori, came to officiate here in Southwark Cathedral, he ordered her not to wear her mitre. He cant bring himself to let the homophobes and misogynists go their way. For goodness sake, let the homophobes and misogynists convert to Islam or Catholicism ! Williams could more than make up for the loss of the saurians by opening his arms to the many members of the Catholic clergy who would just love to renounce celibacy. Will he? No, too easy!

Seriously now, this mitre affair is just another example of the archbishop's regressive mind set. He is a man who has no particular interest in the enlightenment and would, I believe, be quite happy to see it rolled back in order to entrench the position of his religion, all religions in public life. To this end he reaches out to all the other hot hocus-pocus players. If he can please them and secure their thingies in a " pick an mix" bazaar of laws and privileges, it also bolsters, so he reasons, the defences and existing privileges of the Anglican Church. Thus, in a monstrous betrayal of British Muslim women and children he has ardently supported the introduction in Britain of Sharia courts. Again, presumably believing that this will strengthen the great religious cobweb in society, he has called for immams, rabbis, shamans and cardinals etc, to be given seats alongside his bishops in the Lords.
The man is really rather a disgrace. In my opinion, he should be gently tapped on the shoulder and handed a one way ticket to Riyadh.