The bullshit before the but
The problem isn't simply the nine bishops - the Church of England itself is institutionally homophobic
Giles Fraser
Friday June 20, 2003
The Guardian
Everything before the but is bullshit. It's a useful hermeneutic rule when dealing with sentences of the type: "I'm not racist, but..." It's just as applicable to the official position of the Church of England concerning homosexuality: "We're not homophobic, but..." I'm not allowed to accuse others in the church of homophobia, for it is one of the conditions of dialogue between people with "different views" that we respect each other's viewpoint and don't call each other names. But if it looks like a dog and barks like a dog, by golly it is a dog. The Church of England is institutionally homophobic.