Breaking News: Anglicans Affirm Ordination of Female Bishops, Woman Has Baby

Two stories are headlining the news cycle this week, both of which are tied to the gender issues. From a Christian worldview, these stories suffer from an irresistible contrast as one demands significant attention as a bona fide news story, but the other is not really news at all.

First, the genuine news story: the Church of England at its General Synod in York late last night approved the ordination of female bishops. This vote is certain to produce a volcano of controversy within a church that is deeply fractured over issues of female ordination and homosexuality. Church officials ratified female ordination despite having more than 1,300 members who oppose female ordination promise to leave the Church if their concerns were not heard. Those who hold to the traditional (and biblical) view of female ordination had proposed that the Church appoint three male “super bishops” who would work to accommodate their views. The Church narrowly voted down that proposal as well, leaving complementarians within the Church of England with no place to stand.

This development is bona fide news because the Church of England has officially rejected, in wholesale fashion, complementarian members and their conscientious, biblical objections to female ordination.  Of perhaps greater consequence, this development is bona fide news because it affects the body of Christ in a profoundly negative way as biblical truth has been set aside, contemporary culture has been embraced and a split in the Church seems imminent.

Now, for the non-news story: Thomas Beatie, a “transgender” man was born a female, but as a young adult took hormone shots and had her breasts surgically removed. Beatie gave birth to a baby girl on June 29, and over the past week, some variation of the sideshow headline “Man gives birth to baby,” has appeared virtually omnipresent in the international media. Public perception does not always match reality in the headlines, however, for Beatie—hormone shots and surgery notwithstanding—was, remains, and ever will be, a woman. Though the birth of every single child is a miracle and a profound blessing from our sovereign Lord, it is not earthshaking, headline news when a woman gives birth to a baby.