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.
Well put!
And citizens should not be forced to follow laws they don't agree with. Contrary to what you might have been told...This nation was a Christian nation formed on Christian laws and codes. It will soon cease to be a nation because of people like you who don't understand the importance of spiritual values in the survival of our nation. Also notice that no religion until as of late has ever been non condeming of homosexuality. That is because it does not take a high spiritual sense to know that it is against nature.
Anglicanism is a state religion. That's how it was formed: the king is the head of the church. So the government can dictate beliefs (like acceptance of divorce, for example, or the taking of catholic properties)
I am waiting for someone to say something about the Boy Scouts. Most here know what the various levels of our government has done to them for their stance on this issue.
Since the Queen heads the church and is the head of state, she should overrule this.
Nope. You've been asleep at least 30-40 years. This is the fruit (no pun intended) of creeping leftist ideology.
Moral relativist alert.
The Queen is essentially a figurehead. If she tried to veto this, the monarchy would probably be abolished. With all the shennanigans of Charles and Diana, and Princess Margaret before them, it's already at risk.
When the present Archbishop of Canterbury was chosen, it was the Queen who spoke, but there's no doubt that she said what Tony Blair told her to say. It was Blair who wanted an Archbishop interested in pushing the homosexual agenda.
People have silently put up with gay politics for many years. The further they push it, the more reactionary response will occur when people decide they have had enough with perverts setting the agenda.
No church can be forced to do anything, period.
Of course, you may have to do time. Paul did.
The great number of homosexuals seem to celebrate their sins and make a mockery of the Bible.
There is quite a difference between the two.
Perhaps not, but I will say this: Over my dead body...
Here we go. This was the fight that was recently predicted in the National Review. Go against your religion, or lose your tax exempt status. Its happening in England, which is the country we fought to break away from in order to have freedom of religion. But don't think that the same thing couldn't happen here. The government's official chuch is atheist liberalism. And everyone must obey.
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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15
And religious people shouldn't be forced to abide by someone else's homosexuality?
Sorry but No - abide means to live - tolerate in this context. Homosexuals (or other people) do not have Any right to tell others what they must do.
Either side has the right to feel offended by the other. Neither side has the right to dictate to other what they must do or say through force or the rule of law.
Oh, oh, here we go. Just a matter of time until Christian teaching is outlawed and Islam is a required indoctrination, and yes I do see a connection. Hope I don't live long enough to see this and, at my age, I'll probably get my wish.
but I don't know where it is written that vendors have no power to regulate their own personal commerce
Even most restaurants have a sign that reads: "We retain the right to refuse service to anyone"
This is simply the first step in having a government control, i.e. have the final say, about what a 'religion' can teach. You can bet the primary target will be Christianity.
Well, that's what happens when the government owns the Church...
It's more than that. There is a principle in common law of free association -- the right of people to traffic with whom they please, and to shun those with whom they disagree. It's arguable that no right is closer to liberty's firmament.
Yet in the service of some invented, fictional egalitarian principle, that right is overruled, even within a religious context.
I was just wondering about the legal underpinnings of such a law. What are the roots of the doctrine that equality trumps liberty?
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