The Telegraph has reported, “The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam, suggested Christians should ‘rethink’ their interpretation of Scripture in light of changing attitudes towards homosexuality in society.”1 And the Right Reverend was right harsh in making his case, comparing the “opponents of gay marriage to Christians who used the Bible to justify slavery and apartheid.” He, on the other hand, presumed to follow the footsteps of William Wilberforce, who fought to free the slaves, and the path of those who brought down South African apartheid in the last half of the 20th century.

Of course, not all changes are good, and the Church has often distinguished itself more for its steadfast refusal to change than for its shift in policy—whether against Arianism in the 4th century or the polygamy touted by the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” in the 19th century. Alas, Holtam calls the emergence of same-sex marriage “a very strong endorsement of the institution of marriage,”2 and one must wonder if, by this standard (“the more—and stranger—the merrier”), he might urge that the Church rethink its disdain for polygamy, not to mention incestuous unions.

So what does Holtam have to offer to prove that his “enlightenment” is godly? He explains, “Christian morality comes from the mix of Bible, Christian tradition and our reasoned experience . . . Sometimes Christians have had to rethink the priorities of the Gospel in the light of experience.” He would need a lot of “reasoned experience” to outweigh the testimony of the Bible and tradition arrayed against homosexuality. And Wilberforce, whom Holtam cites, never tried to build his case for abolition by appealing to “changing attitudes toward slavery in society.” Rather, he confronted society’s moral confusion over slavery, pushing back against its racist presuppositions. As he once asked rhetorically,

Is it not the great end of religion, and, in particular, the glory of Christianity, to extinguish the malignant passions; to curb the violence, to control the appetites, and to smooth the asperities of man; to make us compassionate and kind, and forgiving one to another; to make us good husbands, good fathers, good friends; and to render us active and useful in the discharge of the relative social and civil duties?3

Indeed, the gospel minister’s task is not to go with the social/experiential drift, accommodating it at every hand, but rather to make and keep society civilized. To do otherwise is clergy malpractice, which, in Holtam’s case, makes the honorific title, “Right Reverend” (thoroughly honorable and appropriately respected) a bit of a strain. Would not a simple, descriptive, biblical title serve just as well, whether “bishop” or “pastor”? This would leave open the question of whether he is a good “overseer” or “shepherd” (see Ezek. 34).

Yes, the titles “honourable” and “reverend” are nice conventions, reflective of the Bible’s admonition that we respect our leaders, whether inside or outside the Church. But it seems reasonable to go easy on their employment when the results sound absurd.4 And not much will be lost. After all, Paul and the Apostles got along quite nicely without such labels, and one can scarcely imagine their speaking of a “Right Reverend” bishop who lobbied for homosexual marriage.

Footnotes:
1
Edward Malnick, “Gay Marriage Opponents like Supporters of Apartheid, Says Senior Bishop,” The Telegraph, May 30, 2013,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10087845/Opponents-of-gay-marriage-like-supporters-of-apartheid-says-senior-bishop.html (accessed July 10, 2013).

2
Ibid.

3
William Wilberforce at Goodreads Website, http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/191362.William_Wilberforce (accessed July 10, 2013).

4
For the same point, see also: Frank Gray, “Gentlemen, Please Stop the Lauding of Criminals,” Journal-Gazette, March 28, 2013, http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130328/LOCAL0201/303289976/1047/LOCAL0201 (accessed July 10, 2013). In this piece, a Fort Wayne, Indiana, newspaper columnist complained, “A few days ago, when police were running all over town trying to track down a man who gunned a woman down on Reed Street in front of plenty of witnesses, I heard one newscast that noted that the ‘gentleman’ had holed up in a house of Holton Avenue and was holding hostages.”

“Chris Huhne Mocked By Prison Officer As The ‘Right Honourable Member For Wandsworth North,’” Huffington Post, March 13, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/03/13/chris-huhne-prison-mocked_n_2865832.html (accessed July 10, 2013). When former UK cabinet minister Chris Huhne was jailed for fraud over his driving record, “a warder [using the prison’s PA system] called him to breakfast shouting ‘Order! Order!’” and “mimicked the Commons Speaker by adding: “The right honourable member for Wandsworth North—down to the office,” Not surprisingly, “Other prisoners at the south-west London jail were said to have roared with laughter as Huhne went from his cell to pick up the meal.”

“Once-Accused Pedophile Priest Arrested For Having Contact With Children,” CBSNewYork, May 20, 2013, http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/05/20/once-accused-pedophile-priest-arrested-for-having-contact-with-children/ (accessed July 10, 2013). The headline reads, “The Rev. Michael Fugee, a once-accused pedophile priest, has been arrested for having contact with children in violation of a court order.”
article adapted by Kairos Journal

First Baptist Church of Perryville is located in Perryville, MD, one and a half miles east of Rt. 222.