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Non-Christians to Marry in Anglican Churches
The Australian ^ | 10/21/09 | Caroline Overington

Posted on 10/21/2009 11:29:03 AM PDT by marshmallow

AUSTRALIA'S largest and most conservative Anglican diocese will tomorrow approve changes that would permit couples to marry in church, whether or not they are Christian.

The change to be passed at the Sydney synod tomorrow makes the diocese the 14th of the country's 23 to approve the reform that would allow an unbaptised Australian to be married in church provided he or she meets the basic standards for civil marriage: a union between a man and woman voluntarily entered into for life.

The change was first mooted at the Anglican general synod in 2007. It has since been put to the different dioceses for agreement and will go back to the national synod next year. Of 16 dioceses that have so far considered it, 13 have agreed, including Melbourne and Adelaide, with Sydney to follow tomorrow, breaching the halfway mark.

The reform drops the "faith requirement" promulgated in 1981 that requires at least one half of the couple be baptised into the Christian faith (not necessarily Anglican).

The Catholic Church, by comparison, requires both parties to be baptised before they can be married, and one half of the couple must also be Catholic. The Uniting Church does not require a declaration of faith.

Anglicans insist the change has nothing to do with the decline in popularity of the church marriage.

On the contrary, the church in Sydney has recently had to appoint Richard James to do nothing but meet the engaged and conduct weddings at the classic, neo-Gothic St Thomas Church in North Sydney, which has lately been overwhelmed by couples wanting to marry there.

"My target market are people who wouldn't call themselves Christian," the Reverend James said yesterday.

"They are people who have no relationship with God, who want to get married in a church and I welcome.....

(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Ecumenism; Mainline Protestant
KEYWORDS: religiousleft
"Flight B16 to Rome, now boarding at Gate #1 !!"
1 posted on 10/21/2009 11:29:03 AM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

Non-Christians to Marry in Anglican Churches

___________________________________

Since when has the Anglican church been “Christian”?

File this under old news.


2 posted on 10/21/2009 11:33:55 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (I am Legend)
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To: marshmallow

Time to be packing for your bags for Rome when your priest starts talking about a “target market,” as if he were selling fun accessories for the 18-34 crowd.


3 posted on 10/21/2009 11:35:38 AM PDT by La Lydia
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To: Responsibility2nd

LOL! What is the point in getting married in a church if you are nnot a Christian? Get married on a boat or at a mall or whatever.


4 posted on 10/21/2009 11:37:49 AM PDT by Frantzie (Do we want ACORN running America's health care?)
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To: Frantzie

Good question.

I suppose it’s like the homo’s who want to get married in a church.

Or get married anywhere.

An “in your face” thing.


5 posted on 10/21/2009 11:40:50 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (I am Legend)
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To: Frantzie

I don’t get it either. Why marry in a church if not a Christian? Why not a Mosque? Or a bar?


6 posted on 10/21/2009 11:44:20 AM PDT by icwhatudo ("laws requiring compulsory abortion could be sustained under the existing Constitution"Obama Adviser)
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To: marshmallow

This ought to dislodge a few more congregations/dioceses not quite already of the same mind as the TAC group.

Incoming!


7 posted on 10/21/2009 11:46:23 AM PDT by magisterium
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To: icwhatudo

LOL! A bar sounds like a good idea. Some people are insane.


8 posted on 10/21/2009 11:48:55 AM PDT by Frantzie (Do we want ACORN running America's health care?)
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To: Responsibility2nd

those anglicans are putting on a real smorgasbord aren’t they? no wonder the conservative anglicans are migrating to catholocism


9 posted on 10/21/2009 12:31:14 PM PDT by MissDairyGoodnessVT (Something stinks in Oslo)
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To: marshmallow
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers"

2nd Corinthians 6:14

Why do folks ignore the Scriptures so much?

10 posted on 10/21/2009 12:34:07 PM PDT by sr4402
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To: marshmallow
When will Christians be allowed to marry in the Anglican Church?

I have a warning for Rome. Two-thirds of Anglican priests in England are homosexual. I hope that Rome has learned from its recent past with homosexuals in the priesthood.

11 posted on 10/21/2009 12:40:36 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex
I have a warning for Rome. Two-thirds of Anglican priests in England are homosexual. I hope that Rome has learned from its recent past with homosexuals in the priesthood.

I don't doubt that warning for a second. But I do doubt that very many of them would be particularly interested in taking up the pope's offer to "come on home." They'd rather stay on as Anglicans, no doubt, where they can aspire to be future Gene Robinsons.

12 posted on 10/21/2009 12:52:10 PM PDT by magisterium
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To: marshmallow
"My target market are people who wouldn't call themselves Christian," the Reverend James said yesterday

???
13 posted on 10/22/2009 5:11:51 AM PDT by Cronos (Nuke Mecca NOW!!!)
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