Posted on 06/10/2006 1:04:58 AM PDT by felisberto
New Government proposals on equality could require clergy to bless homosexual "weddings" or face prosecution, the Church of England said yesterday.
It said the proposed regulations could undermine official teaching and require Christians to act against their religious convictions.
The Sexual Orientation (Provision of Goods and Services) Regulations will make discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation illegal in the same way as race or sex.
They are designed to protect gays and lesbians from being denied "goods, facilities and services" on the basis of their sexual preferences.
They were drawn up after homosexual couples complained of being refused hotel rooms.
But the Church said in its official response to a period of consultation that the regulations would have a serious impact on Christian organisations and would elevate the rights of homosexuals above those of religion.
Unless exemptions were strengthened, Christian centres that disapproved of homosexual behaviour could be forced to hire out rooms to gay groups and Christian charities could have their public funding cut if they did not agree to the regulations.
Faith schools could be required to teach that homosexuality was of equal value to heterosexual marriage and if ministers of religion were not properly protected they could be open to legal action for following their duty.
Last week the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, said that several of the main faiths in the country would have "serious difficulties" with the proposed regulations.
Welcome to FR.
It's the best website on the net for information. We know what's going on before it hits the news.
And we have a great time.
Welcome to FR. WorldNetDaily, for all of its virtues, tends to be a bit, um, strident.
Start getting yourself "pinged". This is one of the best spots on the Internet for Folks Who Dare To Think For Themselves. Good luck.
More Marxist crap.
Welcome!!!!!
As far as the story goes, it does not surprise me that European nations would do this. It is a socialist country. Would not work here as well.
Even though it's in England, I'm sure the usual lefty idiots will be quiet about a "separation of church and state" on this topic.
Homosexuality is not a skin color and there are only two sexes.
Homosexuality is a preference. There is no conclusive scientific evidence amongst the majority of scientists that homosexuality in the majority of cases is biologically induced. None whatsoever. Zippo nada.
And yet we have a government literally forcing people who feel sickened seeing two men kiss to say it's natural. We have a government desiring to force ministers to "bless" homosexual weddings or face prosecution.
Religious people are accused of being intolerant when it is those attempting to force them into compliance with this nonsense who lack tolerance and are not openminded enough to give people the right to disagree.
That is true tolerance: giving people the right to disagree.
So let's see: We're supposed to fully accept as normal people who practice homosexuality, right? This includes bisexuals and transgendered, right?
Who's next? How far does this new fake form of "tolerance" go?
Will the church be required to fully accept as normal those who practice bestiality next? Pedophiles? Age of consent down to twelve year olds? Ten year olds? Hey, why not eight year olds! Aw hay, why not just say three year olds enjoy sex too....
I contend it's coming unless more of us begin speaking out against it rather than falling into silence because we're afraid of being falsely called bigots.
If I call pedophilia abnormal and someone else calls me a bigot, what does that make them?
Moralaphobes.
Get ready. The day is coming. I hope more and more will use their voices to speak out and push back this evil.
I agree. After thousands of studies and tons of research, I see several scientists (doctors) coming to the same conclusion that doctors had from the years 0 to 1973 ... "homosexuality is a mental disorder".
I see that separation of Church and States is a one-way street.
Researchers already have.
It is said that if you want to know where America is headed, look at England. It is virtually a time-warp viewer through which we can examine the consequences of social trends and policies, and hopeful learn from them. I pray that we will halt the inexorable path we have chosen and return to sanity, but I am doubtful.
If your church doesn't want to abide by Caesar's regulations don't accept Caesar's gold.
Government has no business financially supporting a church with public money and a church should not accept it, if the church is of God he will supply everything it needs. The way the Church of England has been going lately I'm not at all sure that it's still a church of God.
What's going to be fun is watching this approach move across Europe and seeing how the Eurotwits deal with the Islamofascists who regard homosexuality with even greater hostility than most Christians - Christians generally takig the "love the sinner, hate the sin" approach to gay marriage, while the mooselimbs generally prefer buggering young boys and goats.
(Thoughtful conservatives from the Netherlands of course excepted from my "Eurotwit" characterization.)
Yep, when private property is no longer respected, the RR tools get used against them. To bad they won't heed our warnings.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.