If...

I remember a story from 2003 where a gay Church of England cleric was forced to step down from his appointment as Bishop of Reading because of his sexuality. That man was Jeffery John, Dean of St Albans. What I hadn't heard was that in 2010 he was overlooked for the position of Bishop of Southwark, again, it now transpires, because of his sexuality. He is now considering legal action against the Church of England on the grounds of discrimination.

If I were the Church of England, I'd have a long hard think about the alienating effect my antiquated stance is having on ordinary members of my congregation - most people nowadays are quite accepting of homosexuality; they have friends who are homosexuals and they know them to be (for the most part) decent people. If I were the Church of England I'd also be wondering how long before my homophobia cost me dearly in hefty fines.

If I were Jeffery John, Dean of St Albans, I'd sue the Church of England's ass off. For an employer to treat an employee in this manner is indefensible. And having successfully won my legal action, if I were Jeffery John, Dean of St Albans, I'd get a job somewhere else. Surely, for a man of my seniority and with my talents and experience, there must be a job out there where I could really do some good and feel valued for doing it.

If I were a young, gay and confused Christian man, I'd probably look outside the Church of England for guidance regarding my sexuality - perhaps the Quakers; I've heard that they are quite accepting of gay people. Or maybe, if I were a young, gay and confused Christian man, I might take my church's message of intolerance to heart and, in my confusion and teenage angst, I might consider joining the already swollen ranks of those young gay men and women (who outnumber their suicidal straight opposites by a factor of four to one) in prematurely ending my life.

Today's run at 17:20
Distance	4.09 km	Time	21:31
Pace	5:15 min/km	Cadence	82 spm
Comments: Clear. Frosty.