Cranmer: Motherhood...

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Motherhood...

On the riverbank

In India

In Asia

In the ocean

In the Arctic

In Africa

Somewhere in England

This is probably old, but it brought a smile to His Grace's face, and seemed somehow timely having been sent to him on the day that David Cameron talks of fatherhood and Ed Balls is trashing the Conservative Party's plans for the family.

16 Comments:

Anonymous said...: Giraffes in India?; 17 January 2010 15:37
Anonymous said...: In a zoo?; 17 January 2010 15:39
President Rumpty-Dumpty said...: This is outrageous behaviour I can scarcely believe my eyes.
That buggy has been parked with its wheels improperly aligned.
A clear breach of EU directives.
Have it towed away to the crusher immediately.; 17 January 2010 15:42
not a machine said...: The many cases I see myself of family dysfuctionality are disturbing , as it is ironic that in this palace of modern technological marvels that we live in , that vie for our attention , yet we are completely losing any understanding of nurture , we are no longer the keepers or treasuruers of christian teachings .
I am quite upset to find out that the wishy washy corprotasist lot have led to a lot of personal unhappyness and undoing .; 17 January 2010 15:45
Anonymous said...: He sneakily changed it. That's cheating.; 17 January 2010 15:51
DDIM 'n HOFFI said...: Anon

It's Cambridge thing. Plus the red wine flows copiously on Sunday afternoon.; 17 January 2010 16:57
prziloczek said...: Lovely to see the argument from design so clearly and persuasively stated. Well done.; 17 January 2010 17:48
Anonymous said...: I thought his Grace was going to show a picture of two lesbians looking after a child- this is probably a more accurate picture of Britain today....; 17 January 2010 18:12
Valleys Mam said...: Not worthy of you your grace; 17 January 2010 18:15
john in cheshire said...: This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.; 17 January 2010 18:27
OldSouth said...: Very dark, very funny, and too often true.; 18 January 2010 02:13
Topsy Turvy said...: The family is emigrating to Australia.; 18 January 2010 06:04
ultramontane grumpy old catholic said...: At least she's not smoking; 18 January 2010 09:39
Wyrdtimes said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 18 January 2010 14:06
Matthias said...: If you go to this link you will see one Pom who is checking us Aussies out. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/19/2796147.htm; 19 January 2010 07:53
Miss Snuffleupagus said...: You made me laugh out loud Your Grace!; 19 January 2010 21:40

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Archbishop Cranmer takes as his inspiration the words of Sir Humphrey Appleby: ‘It’s interesting,’ he observes, ‘that nowadays politicians want to talk about moral issues, and bishops want to talk politics.’ It is the fusion of the two in public life, and the necessity for a wider understanding of their complex symbiosis, which leads His Grace to write on these very sensitive issues.

He deeply appreciates all gifts and donations; indeed, without them, his light would dim, his steeple would fall to ruin, and his pulpit succumb to the worm that dieth not. If you have anything religio-political of interest, please email His Grace and he will consider your contribution. "It hath been found by experience that no matter how decent, intelligent or thoughtful the reasoning of a conservative may be, as an argument with a liberal is advanced, the probability of being accused of ‘bigotry’, ‘hatred’ or ‘intolerance’ approaches 1 (100%).” Follow His Grace on

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Charles Crawford Former British Ambassador to Poland (2011)

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"...which the oddball right-wing blogger Archbishop Cranmer seems to have seized upon in his rambling blog post this morning... I find his inability to understand simple English astonishing..."; (and via Twitter): "You're really not very bright, are you?... You wouldn’t know what ‘substance' was if it hit you in the middle of your imaginary beard... Your arguments are remarkably fact-free... pathetic...idiotic..."
Mehdi Hasan New Statesman (2011)

"As Archbishop Cranmer defends the Church of England against its critics, (it raises) the question of why it needs a long dead prelate to defend it and why the existing ones aren't more 'out there' fighting the good fight in the battlefield of the blogosphere…"
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"For the uninitiated, Archbishop Cranmer has been resurrected as a Conservative-leaning Blogger of some fame. I by no means agree with all this New Cranmer says... but he is right to challenge (the) allegation in the “Telegraph”: the C of E must be one of the least mean-spirited expressions of faith the world has seen. Orthodox Generosity is where we need to be."
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His Grace is deeply honoured to have been selected on ConservativeHome by Paul Goodman as his 'Blogger of 2010': "Writing well, thinking originally and breaking stories are essential to a widely-read blog. Cranmer... observes the world as sharply and as ever, getting first to the news of Katharine Birbalsingh's sacking, and digging out some gems from Hansard. ”
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Dr Richard North EU Referendum (2010)

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Dr Richard Dawkins, Emeritus Fellow of New College, Oxford, Clear-Thinking Oasis (2010)

Cision Global Media Intelligence have ranked Cranmer No17 in the Top 50 UK blogs ‘of online influence’. (2010)

Cranmer is honoured to have been voted #12 in the UK's 'Top 300 Political Blogs'.

“Archbishop Cranmer is a blog I’ve been reading more and more recently. His Grace is not only a very good writer but more importantly, he does what good bloggers should do: he challenges his readers. There aren’t too many political bloggers out there who adopt an overtly Christian perspective, and His Grace does it with style and conviction. He’s often wrong, of course, but that doesn’t disqualify him from the honoured position he’s just attained on this site. In fact what made my mind up to include him was his brilliant post on Baby P. Whenever I’ve written about the subject I’ve allowed my emotions to get the better of me (not always a bad thing, incidentally). But THIS by Cranmer wins my vote for the best blogpost written by anyone since the awful saga began.”
Tom Harris MP, (2009)

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Miss Snuffy To Miss With Love, (2009)

Cranmer is more humbled and further honoured to have been voted in once again at #6 in the Total Politics 'Top 100 Conservative Blogs' and

in at #9 (up three places) in the 'Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs' as voted for by 1,500 discerning blog readers. He thanks his readers and erudite communicants for their continuing loyal support. (2009)

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Tom Harris MP, (2009)

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The Rev'd Dr Maggi Dawn Chaplain and Fellow, Robinson College, Cambridge University, and Online, (2009)

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Douglas Carswell MP, (2009)

As a Muslim is appointed as the BBC’s Head of Religion, "Archbishop Cranmer has it about right."
Ruth Gledhill The Times, (2009)

"...if you want to see why, despite everything I have written, I have a very soft spot for the C of E, it is because of men like Cranmer (...he of the blog). Read what he writes. You will not find a more balanced, sensitive, and open Christian view of the world than his. And when the Talmud talks about the Pious of the Nations having a place in the World to Come, I reckon he'll be right up there with the other least expected candidates for our version of sainthood."
Rabbi Jeremy Rosen Jeremy Rosen's Blog and Online, (2009)

"Surely anyone fair-minded will agree with Archbishop Cranmer, who usually pitches around the phlegmatic end of the Conservative blogosphere."
The Bishop of Buckingham
Bishop Alan's Blog, (2009)

"I've just read what must be the creepiest blog post of the year. It comes from ‘Cranmer’... not for the first time, I find myself asking: what is wrong with this man?... Incredibly, some conservative Catholics actually suck up to him, out of fogeyish solidarity."
Damian Thompson, Holy Smoke, (2009)

The White House under President Obama has placed Cranmer on its media Mailing List. While this may be a dubious honour, it is more than President Bush ever did. (2009)

"His Grace is fluent and erudite and always entertaining whether or not you agree with some of his more dogmatic meanderings. There's no doubt he deserves a column on the Catholic Herald!"
Iain Dale, on rating Cranmer one of the 'Ten Best Written Political Blogs' (2009)

"Cranmer was one of the first big Tory bloggers out of the blocks with the story…"
Mick Fealty, Slugger O'Toole, (2008)

Cranmer is humbled and honoured to have been voted in at #6 in the Total Politics 'Top 100 Conservative Blogs'.

He is also pleased to have been voted #14 in the 'Top 100 UK Political Blogs',

and #12 in the 'Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs' as voted for by 1,140 blog readers. He thanks his readers and communicants for their loyal support. (2008)

"L’excellent blogueur sur la religion Cranmer..."
Mali Ilse Paquin, Cyberpresse, Montréal, (2008)

Cranmer has once again won the Witanagemot award for ‘Best Blog dealing with Religious Matters’. (2008)

"Perhaps I might even, in due course, seek absolution from the shade of Archbishop Cranmer, to whose erudite blog I turn every morning with a sense of pleasant anticipation... undoubtedly (one of) the two best God-bothering blogs in Britain: always original, acerbic and entertaining."
Daniel Hannan MEP The Telegraph, (2008)

"I looked around the Internet for a few luxurious minutes and vastly enjoyed Cranmer’s Blog…which I intend to read more regularly in future."
Joanna Bogle, Catholic journalist and author, (2008)

Cranmer is humbled and honoured to have been ranked #1 in the 'Top 10 Religious Blogs' in the UK, and even moreso to be placed at #6 in the UK's 'Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs', and #13 in the 'Top 500 Political Blogs' in Iain Dale's Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. (2007)

"Splendidly splenetic." Libby Purves, The Times (2007)

Cranmer has won the Witanagemot award for ‘Best Blog dealing with Religious Matters’. (2007)

has named Cranmer among the UK's 'Top 30 Most Influential Religion Blogs'. (2007)

"His Grace investigates...with moral seriousness and intellectual rigour, bringing some refreshing common sense to some of the touchiest subjects in British politics." ConservativeHome (2007)

"For sheer intelligence, erudition and fun, Iain Dale's Diary, Cranmer and Devil's Kitchen are so far ahead of the rest I don't see how they can figure in a top ten. They are the Beatles, Stones and Who of the blog world; the Astair, Bogart and Marlon Brando of the blog world; the Gerswin, Porter and Novello of the blog world; the Dot Cotton, Pat Butcher, Bette Lynch of the blog world..." Wrinkled Weasel (2007)

"I take advice in matters spiritual and religious from the ghost of Archbishop Cranmer... His blog is a role model for niche blogs of all descriptions. Thoughtful, erudite and provocative."
Iain Dale, on ranking Cranmer #8 in the Top 100 Conservative blogs (2006)

"Boring and bigoted." Guido Fawkes (2006)

Freedom of speech must be tolerated, and everyone living in the United Kingdom must accept that they may be insulted about their own beliefs, or indeed be offended, and that is something which they must simply endure, not least because some suffer fates far worse. Comments on articles are therefore unmoderated, but do not necessarily reflect the views of Cranmer. Comments that are off-topic, gratuitously offensive, libelous, or otherwise irritating, may be summarily deleted. However, the fact that particular comments remain on any thread does not constitute their endorsement by Cranmer; it may simply be that he considers them to be intelligent and erudite contributions to religio-political discourse...or not.

I believe in one Party,
Preserver of all that is good in our Constitution,
And of Individual Freedom, Limited Government, National Defence and the Rule of Law:
And in one Party Leader, the only-begotten of the entire Membership,
Chosen democratically by the whole Party,
Centre-Forward, Darling of Conference,
Pre-eminent Parliamentarian of Parliament,
Elected, not appointed,
Being of one philosophy with the Party,
By whom Conservatism is articulated and maintained;
Who for us Members, and for our earthly salvation came down from CCHQ,
And was invited by Her Majesty to form a Government,
And was made Prime Minister,
And was vilified also for us under the BBC.
He was airbrushed and scorned,
And day after day he shrugs it off because that’s his job,
And steps up to the Dispatch Box,
And sitteth on the right hand of the Speaker.
And he shall come again with a larger majority to annihilate the Socialists and the Liberals:
And his Government shall have no end.
And I believe in the Voluntary Party,
The giver of life to the Parliamentary Party,
Which precedeth the Party and the Leader,
Which with the Party and the Leader together should be acknowledged and appreciated,
Because they do all the donkey work.
And I believe in one Conservatism, though it be severally termed 'One-Nation', 'Compassionate' and 'Progressive'.
I acknowledge one Membership for the right to select candidates.
And I look for victory at the General Election,
And for the realisation of the policies to come.
Amen.

The Anglican Communion has no peculiar thought, practice, creed or confession of its own. It has only the Catholic Faith of the ancient Catholic Church, as preserved in the Catholic Creeds and maintained in the Catholic and Apostolic constitution of Christ's Church from the beginning.
Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1945-1961

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