The leader of the world's 70 million Anglicans has stood behind the appointment of an openly homosexual bishop, Cannon Jeffrey John. The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said he saw nothing wrong with the appointment of Jeffrey John, 50, as Bishop of Reading. But the appointment has caused dissatisfaction among members of the church. Among these include six bishops, led by Archbishop Peter Jensen.

Those claiming that the decision to appoint a homosexual Archbishop as horrifying refer to the authority of the bible as their argument. It states that “man should not lay down with man”. Of course, this is the usual argument that religious zealots present, which offers nobody any insightful and weighty argument. Why should anyone take the advice of something that was written centuries ago, which has little relevance to the world today?

Admittedly, it is strange for a christian church to accept an openly homosexual bishop, let alone anyone lower in the ranks. Anglicans, like their counter-part in the United States (Episcopalians), consider themselves "the civilized Christian alternative". Their congregations are upper-middle class or even higher, with a mildly left-centrist position on issues of the day. Thus it could well be that this particular bishop was promoted not so much for exceptional holiness but because it was "time" to make this particular "move".

The fact remains though, that most christian churches and clergy are opposed to homosexuality, on ‘moral grounds’, whatever those might be. Those who go against the holy book are in fact challenging ‘god’. Going against the holy book is attacking its teachings, which gives people more reasons on why christianity is irrelevant.

The other fact is that their quest for ‘super morality’ is alienating and dehumanising humans (homosexual humans) who have done nobody any harm, and who cannot control their sexuality. Yet this ‘super morality’ institution has a large number of pedophilia cases in the clergy, but yet covers them up and does not do anything about them. What a bunch of hypocrites!

Psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals agree that homosexuality is not an illness, mental disorder or an emotional problem. Over 35 years of objective, well-designed scientific research has shown that homosexuality, in and itself, is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems.

There are numerous theories about the origins of a person's sexual orientation; most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors. In most people, sexual orientation is shaped at an early age. There is also considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality. It is important to recognise that there are probably many reasons for a person's sexual orientation and the reasons may be different for different people.

Human beings can not choose to be either homosexual or heterosexual. Sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experience. Although we can choose whether to act on our feelings, psychologists do not consider sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed.

Some therapists who undertake so-called conversion therapy report that they have been able to change their clients' sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Close scrutiny of these reports however show several factors that cast doubt on their claims. For example, many of the claims come from organisations with an ideological perspective that condemns homosexuality. Those who think they have been cured of homosexuality are in fact repressing their own identity.

Science should be thanked for these facts, and the christian church condemned. Their holy book has proven itself irrelevant in the matter of homosexuality and in many other issues (which are irrelevant to this issue) when faced with the tradition-breaking proofs of science. Yet they still insist on alienating and dehumanising homosexuals – for being something that they can’t help being.

Those in the anglican church supporting the appointment of Jeffrey John are ought to be congratulated for their non-traditional stance. But they are defying the bible, and as said above, are proving that their book is irrelevant, and their very religion as a whole. It is time for homosexuals and the rest of us to reject the ‘traditional’ and ‘moral’ stances of the christian church. Their actions against homosexuals have gone far enough, and no-one should put up with that.

By Dimitrov Kyriakov
A writer for www.sawu.org.