Coventry Healthy Churches and Same Sex Relationships

I have just had an interesting twitter exchange with Fr Martin Saxby the Healthy Churches Development Mentor in the Diocese of Coventry.

It started when he posted a link to an evangelical news site that appeared to compare euthanasia with homosexuality. When I called him out on this he said

@a_j_williams Turning away from God in any form, particularly by institutions, is a sign of a decaying society.

I asked him to clarify yes or no whether he thought homosexuality was a sign of a decaying society. His response :-

@a_j_williams My last tweet to you tonight: are you usually so aggressive? Yes or No?

Ignoring the fact this a standard response from somebody who does not want to justify themselves so prefers to attack their opponent (I believe the traditional version of this question is "When did you stop beating your wife") it is interesting that Fr Saxby refuses to respond to me despite the fact I am both Lay Chairman of a Deanery Synod and a member of the House of Laity of the Coventry Dioscean Synod.

While we all know there are bigoted priests out there what is particularly concerning about Fr Saxby is not only did he refuse to give me, a deanery lay chair and diocesan synod rep answer, his substantive post is Healthy Churches Development Mentor. Presumably Fr Saxby does not think gay and lesbian people belong in a healthy church.

I do not believe that people who are born with attraction to the same sex as themselves are sinners. I do not believe that someone who finds their life partner and enters into a life long relationship with someone who just so happens to be the same sex are sinners.

I believe a healthy church includes and celebrates the relationships of everyone, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and celibate. If Fr Martin Saxby, the Diocese of Coventry Healthy Churches Development Mentor does not support this he should resign.

via LiveJournal