The End of The Traditional Church Wedding? [UK]

Cranmer ^ | 12/4/11 | Rev. Julian Mann

[marshmallow]

This is guest post by Rev'd Julian Mann:

If the Church of England is to avoid substantial numbers of its clergy being prosecuted under the Equality Act, it could have to stop registering marriages when Parliament legislates for same-sex marriage.

That is the clear implication from the commendably candid briefing the Church House Legal Office has just given General Synod members.

The advice is clear that Anglican parish churches are no more required under the Equality Act to register civil partnerships than gentlemen’s outfitters are required to sell women’s clothes. But 'if Parliament were in due course to legislate for same sex marriage, as recently suggested by the Prime Minister, we would of course be in new territory'.

Quite so – we would be on our way to a very cold place indeed for British Christianity.

If the law of the United Kingdom were to define marriage as both between a man and a woman and between two persons of the same sex, then it must become discriminatory for a registrar to refuse to conduct ceremonies for people who are legally entitled to get married.

The legal reasoning given in the Church House briefing on civil partnerships in religious premises explains why and merits careful reading:

A key relevant provision is section 29 of the Equality Act which makes it unlawful for 'a person (a "service-provider") concerned with the provision of a service to the public or a section of the public' to discriminate on various grounds, including sexual orientation, 'against a person requiring the service by not providing the person with the service'.

[rjsclassics]

man that sucks!

[Pikachu_Dad]

So then they need to stop doing marraiges.

Votes have consequences.

[sten]

in the US, it will result in the shuttering of a vast majority of churches... as the fed removes their tax exempt status

saw this years ago

[Jack Hydrazine]

It’s not just the end of the traditional church wedding but also the end of the UK.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Don’t worry. The UK is leading the death of the West and the USA is following right behind them!

[cloudmountain]

Only about 1% of the entire human population is homosexual. That means that ALL THIS is for a miniscule amount of people.
However, that doesn't alter the absolutes of right and wrong, does it?
My GUESS is that when this abomination goes through British law, the Roman Catholic Church will experience yet another bump in its converts from the Church of England.
Had to happen if Christianity is going to continue to be Christianity.

[Vanders9]

IF this becomes British law (and it may not do) then its going to affect all denominations.

Personally I'd refuse to lend their perversions church approval and take any consequences the state chose to inflict. I refuse to submit to their bullying.