Bishops bar outsiders from gay rights talks
Anger as Church copies ‘safe space’ campus trend
the radical student doctrine of ‘safe spaces’ – often used to shut down free speech on university campuses – has been adopted by the Church of england.
A major debate on gay rights is to be held behind closed doors with the aim of making all its speakers feel welcome and ‘encouraging diversity’.
Church leaders have ruled that the 483 members of the General Synod will discuss the C of e’s deep divisions on sexuality under ‘safe space’ rules over three days in York next month.
the rules say Synod members must promise that ‘whatever information they hear is not used to disadvantage any participant in situations outside the conversation’.
But the debate is thought to be the first time in its near 100-year history that the Church’s parliament, which has law-making powers, will have gone into secret session to consider its thinking on a moral question of great public interest. the move has angered Synod members on the Church’s conservative evangelical wing, who called the secret sessions an affront to democracy.
Safe space doctrine has been adopted by an estimated one in five universities in the name of protecting students from mental harm at debates and events.
Critics say it has been used to censor all but Left-wing and politically correct opinion and to ostracise academics and speakers who hold different views.
the Church has been sensitive over its teaching on sexuality since the gay rights movement began to pile on pressure for equality reforms 30 years ago.
In 1987 the Synod voted, after an acrid public debate, to declare that homosexual behaviour was sinful, and in the early 1990s it developed its current line: that gays and lesbians are welcome in the pews but gay clergy must remain celibate. the Church has also rejected same-sex marriage.
In the safe space talks, Synod members will be asked to debate the question: ‘Given the significant changes in our culture in relation to human sexuality, how should the Church respond?’
the ‘shared conversations’ will include the Archbishop of Can- terbury, the Most reverend Justin Welby, and his fellow bishops.
Organisers say: ‘the facilitated conversations are taking place to create safe spaces in which questions of difference and disagreement can be explored in relation to questions of scripture, mission and human sexuality.’
Under the process, ‘a space is created in which all feel welcomed and respected, in which diversity is encouraged, and which is private but not secret’. Synod mem- ber Andrea Minichiello Williams, who heads the evangelical Christian Concern group, said: ‘these are critically important discussions, about an issue that could splinter the Church.
‘“Shared conversations” is not about debate. It is about controlling the Church’s messaging on same-sex marriage.
‘these conversations must be held in the open. transparency and accountability require it. this is how the democratic process works. It is a vital protection against manipulation, spin and sinister power plays.’
Church officials said yesterday that the shared conversations were not officially a Synod debate. ‘they are not a debate, they are conversations,’ a spokesman said. ‘No decision will be taken, and the official Synod will end before the conversations begin.’
But information given to churchgoers said the gay rights talks ‘will take place on the final two days of General Synod’. the time has since been extended to run across three days.
‘Spin and sinister power plays’