The General assembly voted late last night to reject the appeal of 12 dissenters of Aberdeen Presbytery in the matter of the call of the Rev Scott Rennie. I’ve been disappointed by the quality of journalism surrounding this case over the few weeks. The message is that the Church of Scotland back the idea of practising homosexual ministers. In Rev Rennie’s case last nights proceedings this was a legal case where the process of the call was on trial. The Assembly pronounced two important facts which the press have been slow to pick up on.
Firstly Aberdeen Presbytery conducted the call quite correctly according to church law, secondly that this decision does not reflect any official Assembly position on human sexuality. Of course Mr Rennie’s sexuality was at the heart of the case but this ultimately was not on trial.
What really bugs me the continual use the media make of the term “traditionalist” to describe those who do question the validity of homosexual men and women taking a leadership role. The term is an invention of the press and I have never heard it used in the church. It is misleading as many who might oppose the ordination of gay ministers are far from traditional in their outlook.
The media including the BBC and the scottish press such as the Sunday Herald have handled this badly and sensationalised and attempted to polorise matters at every oppertunity. We really do deserve better from them.
Posts Tagged ‘media’
