With the recent uproar about the vote against female bishops and the Church of England’s opposition to gay marriage, it looks as if the Christian Church is in a frightening position. I do not have a problem with the Church of England. I happen to think Christianity, and religion in general, is something that should be celebrated and cherished.

For example, the Christian teaching of true charity (giving time and love to people in need, not just throwing money at causes) is something that is incredibly important in modern society. Christianity is not the issue. The Bible is.

I’m a self-proclaimed theology geek and so, naturally, I was excited by the debate surrounding Christianity during the vote for female bishops and gay marriage. ‘Could this be the start of a new denomination’ I thought ‘Will I see another reform?!’ but I have been disappointed that the issue of the relevance of Christianity in the contemporary world had not been addressed, despite it receiving so much criticism in recent months. I can’t help thinking that some of the Bible’s teachings are irrelevant to modern day life and I feel that it is time for Christianity to move on, and that Christians should accept the Bible as a product of its time.

To a degree this is already the case. For example Leviticus outlines that people should not ‘wear clothing woven of two kinds of material’ or eat shellfish, and I’m almost certain that most Christians do not accept these restrictions. Christians could concentrate on concepts such as charity, love, kindness, forgiveness, monotheistic worship and use the Bible just as a guideline for morality, where it can still be applied to modern life. If Christians accepted the Bible as a product of its time there would be no more animosity and hate directed at the Church because of their controversial beliefs that contradict our progressive society.