Posted on 04/12/2023 7:47:05 PM PDT by marshmallow
Conservative body in Church of England encourages dioceses to protest, and says opposition is growing
Conservative clergy and parishioners have launched a small but vocal revolt against the Church of England’s plan to offer to bless the civil marriages of same-sex couples, a move that some Christians believe is contrary to biblical teaching.
In Buckinghamshire, a large group parish plans to refuse to offer blessings to same-sex couples in its seven churches and is taking steps to withhold its annual contribution of £235,000 to the diocese of Oxford in protest.
A group of traditionalist clergy in the City of London have unilaterally formed an independent structure within the C of E as an act of “resistance” to blessings.
The actions are backed by the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), a conservative body that has pledged to resist all attempts to introduce church blessings to same-sex couples, known as prayers of love and faith, this year. The CEEC is encouraging churches in all dioceses to make protests, and claims opposition is growing.
After years of bitter divisions over sexuality, the C of E’s governing body, the General Synod, voted by 250 to 181 in February to back a proposal by bishops to offer blessings on a voluntary basis for clergy.
Traditionalists insist marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and that the plan to bless same-sex marriages is a departure from biblical orthodoxy.
Since the synod vote, conservative archbishops in Nigeria, Uganda, South Sudan and Egypt have warned of radical action against the “blessing of sin”.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Gotta love that phrase “BELIEVE it’s against the teachings of the Bible”. As if there’s a maybe, maybe not involved.
The Guardian is Communist, so...
Written as though this a debatable point. It isn't - just pick up a Bible and read it. Nothing ambiguous and spelled out clearly in many places.
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