Posted on 07/26/2005 5:42:46 PM PDT by sionnsar
Of course, the first folks that will get a civil partnership will be two lesbians, one of whom is a minister. I still say this business of having a marriage but no sex is a big joke. I think the Church of England is as messed up as ECUSA, period. Everyone seems to ignore the old adage, give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile. One wonders whether it is worth staying in the Anglican Communion with such a church as the center. The Scottish Episcopal Church is on the verge of a split. I imagine the C of E will be on its way soon. From the London Times:
Gay clergy can ‘marry’ but no sex
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
THE LONDON TIMES
LONDON (July 25, 2005)–THE Church of England will today give its blessing to gay clergy who want to enter into civil partnerships.
But the Church is refusing to accord civil partnerships the status of marital relationships and gay clergy will be told that they must remain chaste.
The “sexless marriage” code for gays, to be published today, has been prepared by a working group headed by the Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James.
The established Church’s complex manoeuvrings are the result of having to remain on the right side of the law while abiding by Church doctrine.
The worldwide Anglican Communion is deeply divided over the issue of gay clergy and has been brought to the brink of schism over the election of its first openly gay bishop, the Right Rev Gene Robinson, in New Hampshire in the US.
The first civil partnership is expected to be registered in Brighton on December 21, involving a lesbian independent church minister, the Rev Debbie Gaston, and Elaine Cook.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. It's absurd.
If this is true, then it is utterly reprehensible that the Church of England does not fight for the right to practice its religion as it sees fit without the government dicating its practices. Is there no freedom of religion in England? Apparently not for the Erastian church "by law established."
Agreed.
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