Pros And Cons...

...an ever-fragrant correspondent of mine has recently sternly informed me that she is 'pro-gay.' The putting of it into the pipe and the smoking of it was not specifically invoked, but one sensed the note of that tone in the remark as made.

We do not, on the whole, tend to do religious controversy here in The Wolds. Our tastes are mostly for the quieter life, very much on a live-and-let-alone basis.

The occasional hint, maybe, to one that whilst Jesus may very much want her for a sunbeam, her eternal 'Nearer the Godhead than thou' smile is profoundly irksome. Or tipping the wink to another that tambourines may be all very well at a Romany hoe-down, but daring to bring one into my Church and wave it around during Choral Evensong is absolutely not the thing to do in these parts unless said waver has an undue fondness for hospital catering.

Reining-in Farmer Arthur's fervour for direct action against sinners - his pile 'em high and burn 'em all philosophy - is also necessary from time to time. All for a bit of fire and brimstone myself to put, literally, the fear of God in folk as needed. But when justice trumps mercy at every turn, as it will when Arthur plays a hand, it is not to be tolerated entire.

Other than that and the occasional outburst of ontological nonsense about 'being church' that wafts our way as it must, we are little disturbed in our ways and our faith.

One does though slightly tremble at this edict that being 'pro-gay' is quite the thing, not the least as it implies any contrary stance to be 'anti-gay', which in these troubled times would seem as near unlawful as makes little difference. The 'If you're not with me then you're nicked' note is not cheering.

That then objection the first, as one might in Thomist mood opine. The other, perhaps more a matter of nuance though nonetheless significant, is that it as much imputes that one is not just for it but up for it even. As dear Fr. 'Pepper' Potts would say of his hierarchical people "Everything's forbidden until the day it becomes compulsory."

Am I thus to go about the place demanding of folk to know whether they be 'pro-gay'? Poor lambs, I can hear their bleating cries now: "Pro-gay Rector? Must I really? With my piles!"