Yahoo News Reverend Kate Bottley: I could leave Church of England over some inclusion policies
Radio 2 presenter Kate Bottley says she could leave the Church of England over some of its inclusion policy, but thinks it's best to stay to continue to move the conversation.
Reverend Bottley explained to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast that though the church does allow gay priests in civil-partnerships, priests in a gay marriage are still not allowed in the church.
She said: "The only way that anything changes is by keeping having the conversation and by people still sitting in the awkward space.
"I could leave the Church of England over some of its inclusion policy, I feel that strongly about it. But I don't think things will change if people leave. We need to stay with it and try and move the conversation on it."
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The vicar was asked to be on Gogglebox after a video of her dancing in a flashmob at a wedding where she was the priest went viral in 2013.
She also said on the episode that her work on TV and radio was in a similar line to her work as a priest and that she hoped to change perceptions of people with faith in her appearances.
Thornton and Bottley were talking about how they felt it was important for people to be able to change their minds, and to learn and evolve as our views change.
Bottley said: "I'm not the same person I was 10 minutes ago, let alone the same person I was 10 years ago, and there need to be safe places where we can ask the difficult questions."
Bottley rose to fame after a video of her dancing at a wedding went viral, and she was then approached for Gogglebox, which she appeared in from 2014 to 2016.
When she had questions on the equal marriage debate, she said she went to a friend in a same-sex marriage.
She said to them: "'I'm going to ask some stupid questions here, and I'm probably going to use the wrong words.
"'So I need you to forgive me for saying the wrong thing before we even start this conversation.' And my friend just went: 'Just ask me anything you like, you can't get this wrong.'
"It's about giving people permission to say the clumsy thing, you know?"
Bottley said it was important to her that she should be challenged if she said something wrong, so she could move on in her thinking. She also felt it was important to normalise changing our minds on things.
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She said: "This sounds so trite, but you're trying to leave the world in a slightly better place than you found it right? Even if it's only your smallest sphere of world.
"And I genuinely believe that sometimes you have to say something that's tough for someone to hear in order for it, ultimately, to be a kind and good thing.
"I would hope that when I mess up and say something wrong, that I would be challenged, and that I would move on in my thinking.
"We're almost phobic of saying: 'I used to think this, but now I think this, and I've changed my mind on that.' Or: 'Yeah, I got this really wrong a few years ago. And now I'm going to make an effort to get it right.'"
Yahoo has contacted the Church of England for a response.
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