The Seattle Lesbian


Church of England Rejects Civil Partnership Law Beginning Dec. 5


Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 6:00PM | The Seattle Lesbian


http://www.theseattlelesbian.com/top-news/2011/12/4/church-of-england-rejects-civil-partnership-law-beginning-de.html




In a letter to the General Synod, the Church of England wrote that it will not obey the new law which allows civil partnership ceremonies to be performed in places of worship. The letter can be read in full here.

Call for congregations to reject Church ban as religious civil partnerships come into effect


by Stephen Gray | 5 December 2011, 3:11pm

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/05/call-for-congregations-to-reject-church-ban-as-religious-civil-partnerships-come-into-effect/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Pinknews+%28Pink+News%29



Mr Tatchell says individual parishes should be allowed to hold ceremonies if they wish (Photo: Eamon Curry)


Peter Tatchell has called on priests and congregations to reject the Church of England's ban on civil partnerships in their churches, as new regulations allowing the ceremonies to take place on religious ground come into effect.

The Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 come into force today, and lift the ban on places of religious worship holding civil partnership ceremonies.

In a document issues last week, William Fittall, Secretary General, said "no Church of England religious premises may become 'approved premises' for the registration of civil partnerships without there having been a formal decision by the General Synod to that effect."

There are so many gay hypocrites in the pulpit that they can't really uphold the law.
Present head of church spent years at seminary in my town and it was a hotbed of homosexuality so he must know that lots of his ministers are homosexuals even if he is straight and married.

Their is no point in this, christians have made their hateful feelings known they will never accept us and trying to compell them otherwise through legal means only increases their violent ire.

No one should force churches to do anything for them. If they don't agree with same sex marriage in the first place why would someone even want to be married by them?

@ pebbles and toxic..... please, if you're going to comment on stories at least try and read them first. This has nothing to do with forcing churches to do anything, toxic; nor is it the place for more generalised christian bashing, pebbles. If you'd bothered to try to understand the article above, it's about recent legislation in the UK that allows for religious premises to be used for civil partnerships if the place wishes. It doesn't try to compel anyone to do anything.

The CofE is being a bit douchy about it, but they are simply clarifying that as a church they will not be 'opting in' - and won't be unless they agree to at a synod. Yes, this means that the many parishes and individual priests who would not be opposed to hosting same sex marriages are still unable to, and this is a sad thing - but htey did have to clarify one way or the other in light of the new laws. There are plenty of denominations and other religions who have no problem with it or leave it up to individual congregations to decide, the CofE is just making it clear that for them this is a central authority matter.

 Remember to show respect for each others opinions, and to stay focused on and the issue/s of the posted article.

SJ