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Posted on 06/11/2012 7:18:31 PM PDT by marshmallow
A law to allow same-sex weddings will destroy the institution of marriage for future generations, leaders of the Church of England warned yesterday.
They claim it will lead to a constitutional crisis, arguing that human rights legislation will force churches to treat gay couples asking for a wedding in the same way they treat heterosexual couples.
The Church of England’s warning comes in response to the Government’s consultation on legalising same-sex marriage, which will close this week.
The proposed reforms, formally launched in March, have been described by Church officials as ‘half-baked’, ‘very shallow’, ‘superficial’ and ‘completely irrational’.
They claim the change will lead to the Church separating itself from civil law and leaders say this raises the prospect of ‘disestablishment’.
This would entail the cutting of ties between Church and state that have lasted for nearly 500 years, threatening a series of major consequences.
These include the end of the universal right of everyone in the country to marry in their local parish church, to the removal of the Queen from her place as Supreme Governor of the Church.
Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu wrote to Home Secretary Theresa May, saying the plans ‘have not been thought through and are not legally sound’.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Rowan Willimas signed this? Were pigs seen flying over Lambuth Palace as well?
“This would entail the cutting of ties between Church and state that have lasted for nearly 500 years, threatening a series of major consequences.”
Actually, that might be a good thing for the UK. The US certainly benefited from not having a state church that everyone was a member of whether he likes it or not.
Perhaps this is of God after all - it is so strange to see the Anglicans taking a stand FOR marriage. Its been nearly a century since the Anglicans began their steady trajectory AGAINST marriage with the Lambeth approval of contraception.
Perhaps this will cause the schism to close.
Very interesting. Rowan Williams was in favor of homosexual bishops when he was first appointed with the support of gay activist Tony Blair.
He drew back from that position after it caused a severe crisis and the gay bishop in question stepped down.
But does he really mean it now? We can only hope.
Astounding to here Rowan Williams make this case. Has he converted to Christianity?
Astounding to hear Rowan Williams make this case. Has he converted to Christianity?
Where is it given that Church and State are joined together ... in any way?
First amendment indicates that church and state are not associated.
I guess the fear of a further fractured Anglican Communion and disestablishment of the national church moved His Grace to do the right thing. For whatever reason he signed, I am thankful he did.
Two can play the redefinition game.
They will charge and arrest Christian priests and pastors, Jewish Rabbis for not marrying homosexuals. They will close down churches and synagogues that fail to comply. People will lose their jobs and livlihoods for simply voicing their opinion on the matter. Of course, they won’t have the same problem with immams and mosques for some reason. Funny how that works. Kind of like what Jesus said, about a kingdom divided against itself not standing...
This article is about England, which has a state church (the Anglican Church, aka Episcopal).
Germany also has a state church (Lutheran, pretty liberal).
“The Church’s protest is based on legal opinions saying that under European human rights law, marriage must be equally open to everyone.”
What gripes me is that marriage is already equally open to everyone. The same restrictions/rights apply to all, no matter what their sexual orientation. What the proponents want is something new.
When said pigs threaten the traditional tie between the Anglican Church and the U.K. government, not to mention the Anglican Church's traditional prerogatives, you can bet that Rowan William will sign pretty durn fast.
Think of them as limousine liberals, like this hypothetical bloke:
(Feb. 16, 2008): "When I learned that the bourgeois class will slowly be liquidated as monopolies grow and wealth gets concentrated into fewer hands, part of me felt relieved. It won't be easy tightening my belt come the crisis, but I know that I'm on the winning side of history. After all, in the higher philosophic sense, I didn't earn my trust fund: I was just born to it. So I'm glad I have advance warning, so I can take steps to make myself socially useful come the revolution."
(Oct. 16, 2008:) "For Gawd's sake, my stocks are being decimated! When the hell is that moron Bush going to do something about it!? And what's Paulson doing - shagging his secretary at Camp David!? I got bills to pay here!"
Something like this is what conservative populists wait for. "So your higher disinterest was just a pose, eh matey? About time you rejoined the real world."
There’s a clue in the title that indicates the 1st Amendment doesn’t apply here.
***Degenerate House of Cards Alert***
That isn’t what the established church means. By default, every Englishman is an Anglican christian if no other religion is known (so unclaimed, anonymous corpses are given an Anglican burial for example). It doesn’t mean you have to be a member if you don’t want to.
In actual fact, most of the bigwigs in other religions/denominations (even some Muslims) are supportive of Anglican establishment, because they believe it gives a religious perspective and influence in the legislature (via the 26 Anglican bishops or ‘Lords Spiritual’ who reside in the House of Lords). Without them present, they fear that the only voice in framing law will be a secular one, and militant secularism is, as I’m sure many freepers will agree, a common enemy to all those of sincere religious faith...
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
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They will eventually come back to the one true apostolic Catholic Church.
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