Church of England Warn Against Gay Marriage.
The Church of England warned a potential change in British law that would allow same sex civil marriages would strike a wedge between church and state of almost biblical proportions, certainly the biggest since its inception some 500 years ago.
The Church of England bishops delivered a submission to the government warning against pressing ahead with its controversial proposals of legally allowing same sex couples form civil marriage. The church believes that introducing same sex marriagewould lead to the church being forced out of its role of conducting weddings on behalf of the state. In the 13-page submission, the Church claim ’Such a move would alter the intrinsic nature of marriage as a union of a man and a woman, as enshrined in human institutions throughout history.’ The document also includes, ’Marriage benefits society in many ways, not only by promoting mutuality and fidelity, but also by acknowledging an underlying biological complimentarily which for many includes the possibility of procreation.’
The UK Government defended the plans to effectively change the status of civil marriage ceremonies to allow gay and lesbian couples in England and Wales to marry. On Tuesday afternoon they advised their confidence in certain safeguards which would prevent certain religious organisations being forced to take part or officiate at same sex marriages. They also confirmed they were fully behind the change of law, vowing to put a vote to parliament and the law be changed before the end of 2015.
The deeply homophobic rooted Coalition for Marriage, that seeks to deny equal rights for gay and lesbian people, handed in a petition to the Government with over 500,000 signatures (the majority electronic) opposing same sex marriage.
A recent poll conducted by YouGov for Stonewall found that between 80 and 85 percent of the population under 50 years of age supported marriage equality, thus allowing same sex couples to marry.
“The Church of England has been loosing its place in a modern society over recent, thanks in part to their stand against equality, against women and now against gays.” A leading gay writer told me today, adding, “They are running the risk of completely detaching themselves from the bulk of British society with this sudden melodramatic outburst and blatant attempt to hijack the truth and foster an sense of false fear. All over the country they are alienating themselves from the vast majority of the population that see themselves as Christians, yet rarely go to church. If they carry on in this fashion, it wont be long before the Church of England will be an obsolete historical institution.”
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