(Daily Express, 26 December 2008)
Predictable outrage from the distinctly unlovely Daily Express, which evidently thinks that ethics is just one of the Home Countieth.
Forgiveness of repentant sinners is a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith, so fundamental that to a Christian this is a non-story. What Christians pray for is not forgiveness itself for sinners, but their repentance - during the Absolution at Morning and Evening Prayer in the tradition of the Book of Common Prayer, we hear this description of God's purpose for us: "...who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness
and live."
Later in the same article, Bishop Nicholas is reported to have defended his remarks, saying "One hates the sin, but one shows Christian love to the sinner." Quite.
I wanted to read the full text of Bishop Nicholas's Christmas sermon, but it seems to have been removed from the diocesan website.
Let's hope this is a technical hitch, and not craven capitulation by some minor diocesan official to the bloodthirsty mob who would drive us all back to barbarism.
What is morally corrupt here is not the Christian faith, but the willingness of some hacks and politicians to latch on to the personal tragedies and misery of vulnerable people and use them covertly to promulgate their own nasty little sets of values.
ADDENDUM 29 December
There is reason to believe that it could have been a technical hitch that prevented (and still prevents, for it has not yet been corrected) those of us who were not present in Blackburn Cathedral to hear our Bishop's Christmas address from reading the text on the diocesan website.
While we're waiting, you might like to read the article that started this particular ball rolling -
and if you do, take the time to read the torrents of pure hate from the citizens of Blackburn who responded.
And watch this space, for I am not going to let this one go.
30 December
The press release containing the text of the Bishop's sermon appeared on the web site today.
Click here to read it.
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