ROME – A Church of England senior bishop stated this week that the Church does not have an “official definition of” a woman in light of changing understandings of gender within the modern world.
Adam Kendry, a lay member of the General Synod, the Anglican Church’s legislative body, posed a written question: “What is the Church of England’s definition of a woman?” during the July 8-12 meeting of the synod.
In response to his question, Dr. Robert Innes (the Church’s bishop in Europe and chair of the Faith and Order Commission) stated that there was currently no official definition of “a woman”.
“There’s no formal definition. This is because, until recently, definitions of these types were believed to have been self-evident as they are in the wedding liturgy.
” The LLF Project however, has started to examine the marital complexities associated with the gender identity. It points out the need to give additional thought and care in understanding our commonalities as individuals made in God’s image.
Here it comes… https://t.co/oZIsVFBM5q
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The Church of England is the latest progressive voice to question the natural nature of womenhood.
Last March, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson refused to offer a definition of woman during her confirmation hearing as justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Senator MarshaBlackburn (R–TN) asked Judge Jackson if he could give a definition of the term ‘woman.’ Jackson responded, “I am not a biologist .”
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Bishop Innes’ reply was met with mixed reactions from the Anglican Church.
England’s first female priest, Rev Angela Berners–Wilson said that she was not happy with her answer, but suggested that we should be sensitive to the possibility of redefining our boundaries .”
A protester holds a placard expressing his opinion while marching through the streets of Brisbane, Australia, in the rain at night during the demonstration backing Equal Love. (Photo by Joshua Prieto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Maya Forstater on the other side, was the executive director for the Sex Matters campaign organization and said that the bishop’s response was “shocking .”
“When Government defined women by the Gender Recognition Act the Church of England should have stayed with their long-standing understanding. It makes sense no matter what your starting point is biology, or the Bible.
” “It’s shocking that they gave up the definitions of men and women for the state amendment, as though this fundamental truth didn’t matter,” she stated.