Williams embarassed by the time things take

The Telegraph reports:

[Dr Rowan Williams] admitted he is sometimes embarrassed by the time the Church of England takes to keep up with changes in society.

His comments come in a new television programme, to be broadcast on Channel 4 this weekend, in which five leading religious figures in Britain explain the basic tenets of their faith and how they know that God exists.
...
Asked why the Church of England is still struggling to admit women bishops long after Britain had its first female Prime Minister, he said: “The Church has got to solve this on its own terms and yes that does take longer and it can be embarrassing sometimes.

"You look at society and you realise people don’t fully understand why the church is taking so long, and what the terms are in which the church is trying to sort it out.”

Posted by John B. Chilton on August 13, 2009 10:13 AM | |
Comments (3)

Hmmm. Maybe it's because Williams has been less than a clear leader on women's ordination. Maybe it's because he still refers to homosexuality as a "lifestyle choice." Maybe because he bends over backwards to pander to rightwing thugs in the Anglican Communion. But he is right that it is embarrassing.

Posted by Tricia Templeton [TypeKey Profile Page] | August 13, 2009 3:28 PM

We are known by our fruits. Or so we are told. If our fruits amount to dithering, we shall be known as ditherers.

I often wonder why we think secular society should pay any attention to us at all.

Jan Adams

Posted by janinsanfran [TypeKey Profile Page] | August 13, 2009 7:00 PM

And this quote:
Of his belief in God he says:

“I think I’d prefer to talk about being confident that God exists, or trusting that God exists.

“It’s not knowing as you know a state of affairs in the world, it’s much more of a sense that you’re in the presence of something greater than you can conceive. I suppose from my teens I have just been aware of that something greater than I can put words to in whose presence I live.”

When asked if hell exists and what it is like, he said: “My concept of hell, I suppose, is being stuck with myself for ever and with no way out.

“Whether anybody ever gets to that point I have no idea. But that it’s possible to be stuck with my selfish little ego for all eternity, that’s what I would regard as hell."

Posted by Ann Fontaine [TypeKey Profile Page] | August 13, 2009 7:43 PM

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