Sexual Morality Divide

John Shrewsbury · Feb 8, 2014

A survey in The Church Times has shown a divide amongst Anglicans on sexual morality.

The 4,620 respondents were divided into three groups: Anglo-Catholic, Evangelical and Broad.

60% of Anglo-Catholics agreed that practising homosexuals should be ordained into the ministry. 57% of Broad Anglicans agreed. Only 20% of Evangelicals agreed.

63% of Evangelicals were against practising gay priests, although if they were celibate 67% thought they should be allowed to remain in the priesthood.

40% of Anglo-Catholics and 37% of Broad Anglicans disapproved of same sex marriage in church. 75% of Evangelicals disapproved, while a further 51% of Evangelicals disapproved of a blessing in church.

58% of Anglo-Catholics and 51% of Broad Anglicans disagreed that it was wrong for people to have sex before marriage. 66% of Evangelicals agreed that it was wrong.

62% of Anglo-Catholics disagreed that it was wrong for homosexuals to have sex, along with 54% of Broad Anglicans. 66% of Evangelicals agreed that homosexuals shouldn't have sex.

All three groups agreed that divorced people should be allowed to marry in church.

76% of Anglo-Catholics, 93% of Broad Anglicans and 77% of Evangelicals were in favour of women Bishops.

(Source: Poll: lack of trust in Synod )

PaladinValer · Feb 8, 2014

The problem with the poll I can see already is that not all those groups fit neatly and nicely in an actual "conservative-moderate-liberal" grouping as it seems implied.

There are conservative, moderate, and liberal Anglo-Catholics. There are conservative, moderate, and liberal Open Evangelicals. Etc.

The poll therefore really doesn't suggest anything.

ebia · Feb 8, 2014

PaladinValer said:
The problem with the poll I can see already is that not all those groups fit neatly and nicely in an actual "conservative-moderate-liberal" grouping as it seems implied. There are conservative, moderate, and liberal Anglo-Catholics. There are conservative, moderate, and liberal Open Evangelicals. Etc. The poll therefore really doesn't suggest anything.

eh?

I don't see it talking about liberal/conservative.

PaladinValer · Feb 8, 2014

ebia said:
eh?

I don't see it talking about liberal/conservative.

That's my point.

The issue at hand isn't typically one that divides Anglicans into the three groups categorized in the poll, but in a conservative-moderate-liberal divide.

If a poll asks 100 Anglo-Catholics out of a possible 1000 and they are all liberal ones, then it is going to suggest that Anglo-Catholics typically agree on the issue, even if most of the rest are moderate or conservative.

ebia · Feb 8, 2014

PaladinValer said:
That's my point. The issue at hand isn't typically one that divides Anglicans into the three groups categorized in the poll, ...

But the poll does appear to show significantly different tendencies between those groups in England.

one doesn't need a poll to find out "conservatives oppose homosexuality more than liberals" - its a truism.

ebia · Feb 8, 2014

PaladinValer said:
If a poll asks 100 Anglo-Catholics out of a possible 1000 and they are all liberal ones,.

One would hope the church times did a passable job of sampling. No poll is useful without.

PaladinValer · Feb 8, 2014

ebia said:
But the poll does appear to show significantly different tendencies between those groups in England.

Perhaps, but it depends on the sampling.

one doesn't need a poll to find out "conservatives oppose homosexuality more than liberals" - its a truism.

Come to the US sometime...we're masters of it.

One would hope the church times did a passable job of sampling. No poll is useful without

Perhaps it is my American paradigm speaking, but that's not always the case here, and thus I can be a little skeptical on polls.

ebia · Feb 8, 2014

PaladinValer said:
Perhaps, but it depends on the sampling. Come to the US sometime...we're masters of it. Perhaps it is my American paradigm speaking, but that's not always the case here, and thus I can be a little skeptical on polls.

Of course polls are not always trustworthy. But these figures seem entirely plausible for England to me.

PaladinValer · Feb 8, 2014

ebia said:
Of course polls are not always trustworthy. But these figures seem entirely plausible for England to me.

I'll concede this.

UKChristian · Feb 8, 2014

I've always viewed Anglo Catholics to be of more of a Conservative persuasion. Perhaps this is something I should reconsider.

ebia · Feb 8, 2014

UKChristian said:
I've always viewed Anglo Catholics to be of more of a Conservative persuasion. Perhaps this is something I should reconsider.

well, there's a world of difference between Affirming Catholicism, and Forward in Faith. And then there is the fact that FiF haven't been sometime called Fundies in Frocks for nothing.

The reality is "liberal" and "conservative" are package deals that don't describe anyone very well.

Sean611 · Feb 8, 2014

UKChristian said:
I've always viewed Anglo Catholics to be of more of a Conservative persuasion. Perhaps this is something I should reconsider.

Anglo Catholics can be a bit tricky. Anglo Catholics, of all persuasions, tend to be very traditional theologically (virgin birth, resurrection, etc.), however, they tend to be divided on issues of homosexuality and women's ordination. While Affirming Catholics are liberal on homosexuality and women's ordination, most absolutely reject liberal protestantism.

Gnarwhal · Feb 10, 2014

I find this poll interesting. Part of my struggle with attending any church the past several months has been that my conscience disagrees with what many churches decree as morally acceptable or unacceptable. Even if this isn't entirely accurate, it's something to chew on.

Thanks for sharing it John.

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