Antidisestablishmentarianism

Always wanted to use that as a post title. So what? I'll tell you.

I've always been in favour of disestablishment. My argument would be about democracy - no-one voted for the bishops so why should they have a place in our legislature? And why make the Supreme Governor of our church a person who may or may not share our faith?

But one of the great things about the Church of England is its breadth and so the religious right and the liberal left are both represented and have a forum in which they can communicate. I'd like to see other faith communities represented too if we keep our current system.

I notice the United States, which has a constitutional separation of church and state, always has to accept the close-to-blackmail lobbying of the religious right at election time. This unlikely troop of hang 'em, don't abort 'em gunslingers seems to wield too much power whilst having none.

The liberal left there remain strangely quiet at election times but get negative press, for attitudes to gays especially.

I don't want our country to get like this. I may be changing my mind.