Posted on 06/10/2006 4:06:14 PM PDT by wagglebee
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.
This is disgraceful!
Anglican Ping.
Benny ain't gonna be happy!
HA Ping.
We can't advocate violence on this site but when my priest is forced to bless a gay marriage, there will be a real likelihood of a physical rearrangement of the situation!
Sure, in your religion, but maybe these gays don't share your religion. Do you attack all sinners with equal furor or only homosexuals? Have you not sinned yourself? You are trying to impose your religion upon others just like certain Muslims. There are good reasons to be against the homosexual agenda but your religion ain't one of them.
Will the blessing come from gay clergy? The Anglicans/Episcopalians seem to have plenty.
Do you think that churches should be forced to bless fornication as well?
I wonder what legal principle dictates that all citizens have the same access to the same goods and services. Certainly there is the false egalitarian principle of "tolerance" and all that rot, but I don't know where it is written that vendors have no power to regulate their own personal commerce.
ahhh - in ANY religion that uses the Bible as their scripture -
Are they supposed to ignore what the Bible says about homosexuality because the gay/lesbians want it that way?
If people want to go against the Bible tenets, they should find a religion that espouses that they want/believe in..but they have no right to force people to go against their religion.
What part of freedom of religion do you not understand - or want?
Are you saying that people have no right to believe in and practice their religion? Or are you saying, in essence, God be damned, we'll rewrite the tenets of the Bible to fit OUR wants?
No, of course not. Churches should not be forced to do anything that they don't want to do. And homosexuals shouldn't be forced to abide by someone elses religion.
Now we see where appeasement of the left always leads..... govt forced belief systems. Clergy arrested for disobeying govt mandated doctrine. The public yawns and changes the channel.
But, in a way it's deserved. After all, the main churches never said "boo" when the govt was going after the smaller "oddball" sects that were prevalent in the 70's. They turned a blind eye to govt interference with religions when they thought that the govt just was after non-mainstream religions. Now the crows have come home to roost. How shortsighted to not resist govt interference in religion... even if it was the moonies.
If you read my post again you will see that I did not support forcing churches to bless gay marriage.
they're not - they don't like what the Bible says - find another religion or start one of their own = they have no right to force those whose religion is based on the Bible and make them go against it...
The story isn't clear as to whether mosques will be subject to this regulation.
I can't see the considerable radical muslim population in the UK abiding by this, although I'd like to see the confrontation.
The 1st amendment only applies to the United States. Last time I checked the UK was not part of the US.
Listen to yourself. There religion is a good reason for them to oppose this. You are sick.
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