Of course, women bishops are a must for the Church of England. There is no justification in either theology or morality for ordaining them as priests but not as bishops. The present proposal is the logical development of the decision taken back in 1992. However, it is also imperative that those who cannot in conscience accept this development are properly accommodated. We must guard against the tyranny of the majority, and refuse to disenfranchise those who insist in upholding the teaching of the greater part of the Universal Church which does not at present endorse this Anglican innovation. Jim Wellington, Syston

I believe the Church should aim to choose the best person for the job in all circumstances, from priests to archdeacons. Preventing women from participating in church life is detrimental to the whole Church community because it restricts choice. Women should also count in the Church as fully-fledged members who can offer just as much as men. Let them participate equally, and let the chips fall where they may. Sarah Hague, Montpelier, France

Perhaps considering that prudence is a virtue, the Church should delay and take time to reach a real consensus. In my opinion, because Jesus did not have any female apostles, it is impossible to prove beyond doubt that women bishops are "right." I do not doubt that they would be capable ministers, but I have to stress the point that making a decision without the backing of almost all of the clergy and lay people would cause more harm than help. After all, it's better to be safe than sorry. John Richardson, Newcastle

A visitor from another Anglican church to my own became quite snaky and hostile when he found we had a temporary female priest (who, incidentally, was a fantastic preacher). Whether right or wrong, consecration of female bishops will create all sorts of undesirable tensions that the Church can do without. I believe refusing to consecrate female bishops does not limit a woman's ability to serve God and Church at all. James Gould, Adelaide, Australia

Reading this article both saddened and angered me. How there can ever possibly be a question over allowing women to hold the same roles as men in an institution such as the Church continues to amaze me. Any person who considers women either too 'unholy' or unable to fulfil the duties of a bishop just as well as men is simply perpetuating the patriarchal, sexist society that women have strived to leave behind them for decades. It is highly irresponsible of an institution as influential as the Church to spread such a sexist attitude - the few young boys the Church still attracts will simply grow up to believe that women are in the eyes of the Church, and therefore of God, inferior to men. Attempting to set back this development in the Church's hierarchy is like men's attempts to set back women's suffrage at the start of last century. It is short-sighted, destined to failure,and those men shall in the future be looked back on as idiotic neanderthal chauvinists. In any other area of society such sexual discrimination would be illegal. Why should it be allowed in the Church simply because it was men who wrote the outdated doctrines on which the institution is based? Elizabeth Chapman, Harrogate

The determination of the Church of England to press on with female episcopal ordination shows the lack of commitment to ecumenical relations with the Catholic Church. As Rome has always insisted on the goal of juridical union, this would mark a definitive break as jurisdiction is derived not from priests but from Bishops. Given also the new conservative mood of the Papacy, time may be running out for those truly believing in Catholic unity within the Church of England. They may find themselves trapped in a Church they no longer recognise. Christopher Gillibrand, Brussels

I personally am an atheist. However, I would welcome female leaders to the male dominated church system. By alienating homosexuals and women the church only gains enemies and hatred, it will loose more followers that it already has. Why don't the numerous "anti sexual discrimination acts" apply to the church! If the church was a business it could be taken to court because if its blatant inequality between the sexes! It is not the reason that I am an atheist, but it really doesn't help that women are not looked upon as equals in the eyes of the church. Name and address withheld

I'm Anglican, who has no inner conviction on whether women - or for that matter, gay - clergy are, in themselves, good for my Church. I do question the wisdom of implementing such sweeping change in less than a generation. The Anglican church has existed for two thousand years (counting its Roman ancestry) without them. If our leaders feel called by God to overturn so many customs hallowed by ancient precedent in so short a time, I would be quite happy. I suspect, however, that they have no such word from God (they would have told us, wouldn't they), but are rather moved by temporal considerations - wanting to fit into the world rather than transcend it. How about mulling it over a century or two? John Samuel, Singapore

Are the liberals in the Church of England “liberal” enough to hold democratic referendums of all clergy and laity on this issue? Not likely. The liberals know they are in the minority and would lose any such referendums by a huge margin. They shouldn't be let off the democracy hook. Traditionalists should embrace modernism, in the form of democracy, in order to defeat minority liberalist dictatorship. Terry Daly, London

As one raised in the CofE as a child, greetings from the Episcopal Church of the USA where we've had female bishops for quite some time. The same silly objections were made when female clergy were first consecrated here and, amazing as it may seem, the sky didn't fall. They are actually good bishops. We are now entangled in a similar hoo-hah over our openly gay bishop of New Hampshire. It might help to recall that we are all childen of God and that, as St Paul reminds us, there are a variety of gifts. The presence or lack thereof of certain bits of antomy seems a trivial reason to preclude a faithful servant of God to serve as bishop. Jan Rogers, Havana, Florida

I am completely in favour of the reforms. Although I am a Christian, I am not a member of the Church of England, but I believe that in a time where perhaps the Church's influence is weaker than it used to be, women bishops will definately widen the appeal of the Church. The Church must evolve along with time, it's been years since women became men's equals in the eyes of the law, and its about time that the same principles apply to the treatment and role of women within the Church. Otherwise, within a few years, I fear that the church will lose what few supporters (compared to earlier times) it has left today. Ola Marki, Paris

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