Church 'may have to offer gay weddings' if Cameron's plans given go-ahead
Image via WikipediaWill this happen in Australia? Will this happen in Queensland under Andrew Fraser and his self imposed gay union legislation?
Same-sex couples will be able to have church weddings if David Cameron goes ahead with plans to allow gay marriage, the Church of England indicated yesterday. Its lawyers said that weddings will have to be offered to same-sex couples under any scheme to open the full privileges and title of marriage to gays and lesbians.
A spokesman for Christian Evangelical Coalition rejects outright any such acess would be permitted or allowed regardless of any Government legislation. The Cof E lost the plot many years ago, they are not subject to scripture or God but to the government of the day.
They suggested that if same-sex couples could marry the Church would no longer be sheltered from equality laws that forbid it from discriminating against homosexuals.The admission was made by officials in a paper on the impact of new civil partnership regulations.
The rules, which come into effect on Monday, mean that, for the first time, churches would in theory be able to host same-sex civil partnership registration ceremonies. The CofE maintains that because it has never offered civil partnership ceremonies it cannot be forced to start doing so under the new rules.
But if Mr Cameron pushes ahead with a marriage reform bill to allow fully-fledged gay weddings, then equality laws will apply to churches, the document warned.‘If Parliament were in due course to legislate for same-sex marriage, as recently suggested by the Prime Minister, we would of course be in new territory,’ it said.
No exemption: Churches will have to allow gay marriages under the new scheme
Mr Cameron indicated his support for gay marriage in October, saying: ‘Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other. So I don’t support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I’m a Conservative.’
Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone has indicated that nothing would force churches that disapprove of gay relationships to host same-sex ceremonies – but the CofE’s analysis suggests any attempt to bar legalised gay marriage from churches would fall at the first court challenge.
Civil partnerships, introduced in 2004, give couples the same legal and financial rights as married couples. New rules will allow couples to register them in approved religious buildings for the first time.
However, CofE churches may not apply to hold the ceremonies without the permission of the General Synod, the Church’s parliament.
All pentecostal church has rejected outright any move of this nature by the government and see it as actions against God direct prohibition.
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