Richard Dawkins is quite consolatory re the C of E vote yesterday…
“I grieve for the C of E. They have a certain decency & try so hard. The vile RCs will smirk, and they don’t even CONTEMPLATE women bishops.”
Interestingly, the clergy were pretty clearly in favour of women bishops and the lay synod voted against.
I suppose that’s what happens when people read the bible for what it is. There is plenty of misogyny throughout. It’s another case of either taking the bible literally (and arguably being more true to the faith) or doing what the bulk of the priesthood would like their flock to do, which is to pick and choose the nice bits or the parts which fit with the values of a society which has been built on secular Enlightenment values and not religious values.
Fortunately, as an atheist, I don’t have to struggle with this, but like Dawkins, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel some sympathy for the latter group.