There should be no compromise. Have women not suffered enough because of religion? I say that those conservative anglicans who are so afraid of women should take a leaf out of Jesus' book and love thy neighbour, turn the other cheek or deal with the fact that some women want to serve god.

Marina Kyriacou, Larnaca, Cyprus

If those who cannot accept women's ministry get their own dioceses, what when there is a woman Archbishop of Canterbury? Is it a ploy to bar that, despite the excellent women bishops and leaders of national churches & Victoria and both Elizabeth I & II having been head of the church?

Jenny, Manchester,

Mr Burgess-Parker queried: "So Stephen Barron from Tasmania, do you think because the Bible talks about treating your slaves fairly, that we should all be keeping slaves?"

There is a law against inflicting cruelty on animals. It does not imply that one must keep a pet.

Deon Irish, Cape Town, South Africa

I hope putting the Bible into practice as proposed by Stephen Baron does not include stoning gays, keeping slaves, stoning shopkeepers who stay open on a sunday & killing the men folk of cities belonging to those who hold alternative beliefs and abducting the women? that's the Bible folks!

kevin, Lincoln, UK

So Stephen Barron from Tasmania, do you think because the Bible talks about treating your slaves fairly, that we should all be keeping slaves?
There are many indications in Acts that women held positions of high responsibility, and exercised great ministry.

Gordon Burgess-Parker, Leek, England

Christianity was never meant to be democratic or populist. Jesus was crucified for His message and his [non-compromising] disciples are still persecuted and executed to date. These Church leaders were simply meant to bear the standard but continue to redefine it. Thereby turning into tombstones!

David Pitan, Surrey, UK

just one question. has any member of the c.o.e ever read the bible?. if they have,maybe putting it into practice may solve a lot of their problems. just one final comment, i've looked but cannot find a use by date on my version of the bible anywhere.

stephen baron , leith, tasmania

One further stage in the slow break-up of the Anglican communion. Some will remain true to the age old values & faith of the Universal Church; others, led by the American Episcopal church, will follow their own primrose path & adopt the secular outlook of the world. 'Twas ever thus.

Dave, Wrexham,

I couldn't agree with Lyn from Birmingham more. It astounds me that this is an issue in this day and age. Note also that "the Monarch is the the Supreme Governor of the church " doesn't this leave the 'no women' brigade in a rather difficult position?

Nigel, Camberley, UK

Greg. Well said. the only honest comment.

Feminism is a divisive doctrine perpetrated against us all, to create weaker than the sum of humanity to be picked off by the State. Well done the State what a mess you have got us in. When are you taking over? AH! you have

Mark, Gateshead, UK

Will Heaven (if it exists) have separate entrances for man, women and "other"?

Hugo, Hobart , Tasmania

More idiocy looming with this latest religious drama.
I personaly think it more important for people to adhere to a Christian code of conduct as far as integrating with fellow human beings whether or not they ever enter a church.
Morals and scruples are the key.

Dek Crossingham, Birmingham, England

Sophie and Des, the "Church" which you seek is a Secular Humanist Organisation, and not the Church of Christ, which He founded when he appointed 12 male apostles. Are you suggesting that God Almighty, the Creator of the World, did not know what He was doing ? Trust & obey, do not rewrite Scripture

Anna, Daventry, England

There is something radically unchristian in all this wrangling!! When, oh when, shall we hear that our clergy, are fasting, praying and holding all-night prayer vigils, in order to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Mind of Our Lord and Saviour in all these areas of difficulty?

Christine Cornelius, Llangammarch Wells, Wales, U.K.

Greg Lorriman: few people would argue that men and women are the same; but they are - or should be - equal in social status, opportunity, rights and so forth. People are individual human beings before they are anything else and gender must not be a reason to keep a person down.

Lyn, Birmingham,

Are the Church of England also going to create Gender Havens for Homosexual priests at the same time, as these are a greater problem then women priests and Bishops?

Derek Cox, Bodmin, UK

I think people are getting really fed up with religions and doctrines that seem have low moral and ethical standards, no true historical provenance and no element of goodness rammed down their throats. I think MPs emphasising religion at the next election will be an electoral liability for Parties.

Keith , Rayleigh, England

"millions of conservative church members"

I really dont think so, they dont have millions of members.

also most of the priests who left will be those still working beyond retirement age and have just given this as their reason for leaving as a last jibe at a world they no longer understand

Mike FW, Porthmadog, United Kingdom

Have the Church not heard of the Sex Discrimination Act, which is supposed to make jobs available to men and women equally?

Chris Manley, Llanelli, Wales

I still remember the policy of "two integritys"

talk about high church, its more like High comedy.

Mike FW, Porthmadog, United Kingdom

Ruth Gledhill says the C of E is proposing to establish "spiritual havens for opponents of women priests and bishops." The C of E official website says "The Group does not offer a recommendation of its own but analyses the pros and cons of each approach." Not for the first time Ruth is misleading.

Colin James, Wokingham, England

Sophie Green:"Why shouldn't men and women have the same rights?"

Men and women are self-evidently not equal. We are complements of each other. Feminists have characterised the feminine as degrading, but actually it is wonderful. For a deeper union one marries one's complement, not one's soulmate.

Greg Lorriman, Leatherhead, UK

If I remember rightly the priests who objected to women being ordained left the Church with £30,000 in their collection plates. A well known feminist female writer - who shall remain nameless - was 'married' to a *** male priest and they took the money and ran! Hilarious!

Lyn Ibbitson, Burnham Overy-Staithe, UK

What would Jesus (who did much in his lifetime to improve the recognition and status of women) have said about all this?

Sue Barnard, Altrincham, UK

This is not a gender haven - it is a haven for men who cannot accept that theology has moved on since the Middle Ages. By all means let such men have male only sanctums but please call these by a name that does not pretend to be gender neutral or else have women only spaces as well.

Chris , London, UK

This is a proposal to avert schism? It would enshrine and institutionalise schism! A typical example of the CoE wanting to say two contradictory things at the same time.

Stephen Jones, Carnforth, UK

One of the great arguments for women priests at the time of the great debate was that there was no question of there ever being women bishops and no one was suggesting there ever should be. Talk about giving an inch and taking a mile!!!

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

This is a sad situation that it is even an issue. Why shouldn't men and women have the same rights? I think it's disgusting in our society of striving equality that this is even a debat. Good riddence to those 470 priests that left!!

sophie green, basingstoke, England

A classic case of navel gazing whilst the gap between the disengaged and the trapped widens - A pox on both their houses

Adrian

Adrian Wait, Leicester, England

Who says religion is not divisive? Here we have a proposal from the Church of England which will enshrine gender inequality. I do not see how an organisation that seeks to impose such obvious discrimination on its members can continue to receive public money.

Des, Edinburgh,

When the Christian Church was formed the leaders would accept death rather than compromise their principles. If accepting female clergy is now a guiding principle of the Cof E why are their leaders changing the entire church because some members are shouting loudly. Schisms have happened before.

Marei Butler, Plymouth, UK

How about dioceses for "cultural Christians" who still consider themselves members of the CofE for the sake of tradition and coffee mornings, but don't believe any of the superstitious nonsense.

John Dale, Sunderland,

Ruth Gledhill refers to''women bishops' and 'male bishops' in the same sentence. She compounds it by writing of 'women priests' and 'male clergy'.

The reduction of men to mere 'males' is nothing less than feminist prejudice. When a man refers, correctly, to priestesses, the sisterhood is up in arms

Mark Pascoe, Truro, UK

And a haven for redheads, too.
One ginger diocese, please.

Michael Fish, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA