WHAT a despicable, ignorant and pathetic farce for the Church of England to still oppose the consecration of women as bishops (November 21).

This asinine act plunges the Anglican church back into the Dark Ages.

How on earth can it now provide spiritual guidance to people in our 21st-century Britain?

The Church reeks of a primitive, patriarchal theology which is totally outgrown and irrelevant to modern life.

Women have proved themselves superbly competent in the fields of medicine, law, education, politics and business.

Yet, we have this farcical opposition to them, denying their ascent to spiritual leadership at a time when Christ’s feminine values, as expounded in the Sermon on the Mount, are desperately needed by our decadent and materialistic society.

As a young man, I left the Church of England, finding its rigid orthodoxy stultifying.

Continuing my search for truth, I was recently so inspired by the developments in broad, liberal theology that I thought of rejoining.

No longer, for I cannot support any church so hopelessly outdated prejudiced against women and out of touch.

GRAHAM BUTLER, Banbury Road, Bicester