Changing Attitude Chester

I've forgotten to log here that the Changing Attitude Group in the Chester diocese have a new web pages location. Some local and UK events are listed. If you know of local events let me know and I'll add them to the news pages!

Truth will out!

Maybe this is a good place to put some very public questions to Nigel Tate, Rob Munro and others in the leadership of St Mary's Cheadle about decisions, actions and discussions that were behind my deeply flawed 'redundancy' in 2009?

• What discussions did you have with others (including but not limited to Rob Munro and Sheila Grieve) at St Mary's Cheadle about me before 23rd Nov 2009?
• Were the reasons for the fabrication of a redundancy case - my age and also my holding views that you would regard as liberal on LGBT issues? (though liberal compared with the leadership of St Mary's Cheadle isn't saying a lot!)
• Were you aware (before Nov 2009) that I was on the Chester diocese organising committee for Changing Attitude?
• Did you (Nigel) write the alleged minutes for the redundancy scoring meeting. Were those minutes a lie from start to finish as the meeting never took place on that day, it was only cobbled together the night before our meeting when I said I wouldn't appear unless I saw a copy - and therefore it never took place in the period stipulated by employment law?
• After the final meeting, my witness and I were left alone for a private conversation. Was our discussion eavesdropped, bugged or did someone 'accidentally' leave the conference call phone on record?
• Was Gary Higham - who was made 'redundant' along with me - employed on the basis that his employment would only be for 12 months? - so that you could feign hurt innocence if accused of age discrimination. (Of course Gary wouldn't have been aware of this!)
• Did Jo Smith's sudden departure in 2008 have anything to do with a desire not to be implicated in the redundancy process?
• Were Siemens offered any inducements (financial or otherwise) to take me on as a contract worker for a very nominal time to make it less likely I'd go to industrial tribunal?
• I foolishly told you the name of the legal practice I was using for my compromise agreement review - to avoid a conflict of interest, and the person I was due to meet cancelled claiming illness and I had to speak to someone who was clearly an office junior for the review. Did you put any pressure on that practice to subvert my review?
• And most smallminded - was a staff meeting hastily arranged on my afternoon of my last day in the office designed to make it impossible for me to say farewell to my colleagues - at least on company premises?
• And I've not even mentioned the non-existence of the software group which was allegedly used to determine who was at risk of redundancy - oops!
  

Who are the bullies?

At General Synod last week the Church of England announced that it was going to work with Stonewall to address homophobic bullying in schools. In response there has been a typically mean spirited statement from Angican 'Mainstream'. Changing attitude has delivered a robust riposte. To quote Colin Coward:

Anglican Mainstream says that children's lack of psychological and cognitive maturity makes them vulnerable to ideological and sexual manipulation. The statement implies that Stonewall manipulates children ideologically and sexually – it's a disgraceful statement and deeply homophobic.

Anglican 'Mainstream' is deeply homophobic and some of its supporters indulge in bullying and intimidation of those who disagree with them - excusing their behaviour by claiming that those they attack are 'guilty' of first order offences whereas their 'ends justify the means' approach should be disregarded. They need to look at themselves!

The silence which judges

As Colin Coward reports on the Changing attitude weblog, a Ugandan bill is in the process of working its way through their legislature which would not only bring in the death penalty for homosexuals it would also make it a crime for friends/ family of homosexuals not to report it to the authorities. In an attempt to build a broad coalition against this wicked legislation letters were written by Changing Attitude to the leadership teams of Fulcrum, Reform, Anglican Mainstream and the Church Society over a week ago, so far only Fulcrum have made a response the other organisations seem to be unable even to offer the courtesy of an acknowledgement.
Pressure needs exerting on the so far silent Church authorities to pour some light on this loathsome bill which goes directly agains a Lambeth resolution which many of those groups were all in favour.
On a lower leadership level, there's a facebook group to coordinate and share ideas.

Predictable

A second head of Changing Attitude Nigeria has been granted asylum in the UK. The Changing Attitude press release says:

The LGBT members of CAN do not believe that they can safely come out and reveal themselves to their priests, let alone their congregations. They fear that their own priest will not offer them counselling and prayers but will react negatively to them. The problem they would bring to their priest is in any case not the problem of their homosexuality, but the problem the church has with homosexuality. They do not want to come to church for help to be changed or healed. LGBT people know, as Archbishop Akinola does not or possibly cannot know as a heterosexual man, that we do not need healing from our innate, God-given sexual identity. We long for the church to learn “… what it is that the Lord requires of you: only to act justly, to love loyalty, to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6.8

Inevitable after the attack on him this summer, but speaks volumes about the warped version of the Christian faith held by some Nigerians - and given impetus from the top.

Changing Attitude Chester

As I'm attempting to advertise this elsewhere, I'll also give it a plug here..

The Changing Attitude Chester group are running a day conference
with speakers Kenneth Leech and Jean Mayland

Does the Church limit God's Love?

Principles & practice and Changing Attitudes - Workshops & Discussion

Saturday 11th November 10am - 4pm at Chester Cathedral

Drinks provided, bring your own lunch.
To book for the day, send cheque (payable to Changing Attitude, Chester) for £7 (£4 concessions) together with your details to: Irene Pendleton, 55 Carlton Close, Parkgate, NESTON, CH64 6RB.

For information: e-mail imp<insert obvious symbol>fish.co.uk (or me!)


Posters available at the Chester Group's website