Thursday 19 February 2015

A Bit Out Of The Church’s Remit, I’d Have Thought..?

A vicar who promoted conspiracy theories that Israel was behind the September 11 terrorist attacks on the internet has been banned from speaking, writing, tweeting or blogging on the Middle East by the Church of England.
The Rev Stephen Sizer has also agreed a complete prohibition on using any social media for at least six months. It is believed to be the first ban of its kind issued by the church.
I’m guessing that not only does this ban have no legal standing, they’ve no way of checking that he’s complying with it? There’s nothing to stop him setting up an anon account, after all.

And…if he’s that bad, how can he still remain in post?
But Dr Sizer will be able to remain as priest in charge of his Christ Church parish in affluent Virginia Water, Surrey, and there are no current plans to defrock him.
Hmmm…
Bishop Watson said Dr Sizer's "strong but increasingly indiscipline anti-Zionist agenda" had become a "liability". He said that even other Christians who support the Palestinian cause found his strident stance counterproductive.
"Having now met Stephen, in my brand new role as Bishop of Guildford, I do not believe that his motives were antisemitic," he said.
"But I have concluded that, at the very least, he has demonstrated appalling poor judgment on the material he has chosen to disseminate, particularly via social media, some of which is clearly antisemitic."
Can’t help but think that an undemocratic ‘ban’ on social media use doesn’t send the right message, when coupled with a failure to prevent him representing the church…

10 comments:

Furor Teutonicus said...

XX Bishop Watson said Dr Sizer's "strong but increasingly indisciplineanti-Zionist agenda"

"But I have concluded that, at the very least, he has demonstrated appalling poor judgment XX

English is not a requirement for Bishops in Britain any more then?

Bloke in Germany said...

Well, he's been bringing his employer into disrepute and the employer has decided to impose a sanction short of dismissal. Which basically involves desisting from further bringing the employer into disrepute. This all seems reasonable enough.

Anonymous said...

Bunny

Couldn't they have just said, 'sorry he's been a twat, I've met him and now I know he's a twat, but we don't have anyone to replace him with. Sorry.'

Flaxen Saxon said...

Who will rid me of this turbulent priest? Surely not the Synod- where's a knight(s) in shining armour when you need one?

andy5759 said...

FT, I thought as you about the errors of grammar, it is likely to be a dim journalist mistranslating his own shorthand.

Anonymous said...

Why are you advocating job loss for an unpopular opinion?
Tsking the bread out of the offenders mouth may make you feel powerful but what else?

Lord T said...

Is it really out of the churches remit?

Like all charities now that the number of followers has gone down they need to diversify and attract new funding. Appealing to the Anti-Jew sector has the potential to attract a significant number of new followers and if it saves one ... sorry, collects at least £1 it is worth it.

Furor Teutonicus said...

But the elephant they are ignoring, is the fact that most of the "anti Jew" areseholes, are also anti Christian.

They just can not put 2 and 2 together, and see that THEY will be, in fact in many places in the world ARE, the next on the list.

When there are insufficient Jews, Christians are FIRST on the list.

No Suidaephobe is going to give the church money. They will TAKE it. And, when it runs out, why keep suporrting a golden goose that does not lay any more?

Anonymous said...

Virginia Water is the home to many Middle Eastern born Coptic Christians, who follow the basis of the words of the Bible but blame all Jews for the death of Christ, despite the recorded arrest, crucifixion, death, and resurrection being pre-ordained. This means that the Jews in question were really following the word of God, despite the effect it would have on their lineage, thus making what could be termed the ultimate personal sacrifice. Modern day Jews have no responsibility for what, allegedly, happened over 2,000 years ago as today's Muslims have no responsibility for the raids and enslavement of Britons living on the south coast a couple of hundred years ago. Unfortunately where religion, any religion, is concerned, the tunnel visioned, single issue, focus points rule supreme. Religion is a man made statistic designed to give the morally corrupt power over the uneducated, weak and naive. Name one religion over the ages which did not involve torture and death of those with different viewpoints.
Penseivat

JuliaM said...

"English is not a requirement for Bishops in Britain any more then?"

It doesn't seem to be for anyone!

"Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?"

:D

"Why are you advocating job loss for an unpopular opinion?"

Why are you suggesting he should not be subject to the same strictures as any other business (which is what the church is, these days)..?

"They just can not put 2 and 2 together, and see that THEY will be, in fact in many places in the world ARE, the next on the list."

Spot on! Appeasers always hope the crocodile will be full up by the time it gets to them.