Just thought I'd share parts of the letter I received from the Home Secretary informing me of the consultation on 'equal civil marriage'. This issue is dominating my discussions with party members. I've not read the document yet, and will wait to see how the debate develops before taking a final view on it. But I can say that there are a lot of other issues I'd rather be talking to constituents about. Anyway, I thought it would be useful to make some of the Home Secretary's 'facts' public.
"The consultation looks at removing the bar on same sex couples having a civil marriage......in a register office or approved premises e.g. a hotel"
"We are making no changes to how religious organisations define and solemnize religious marriage. .......I am very clear that a marriage through a religious ceremony and on religious premises will continue to be only legally possible between a man and a woman."
"We are proposing that civil partnerships are maintained for same-sex couples.... enables us to to maintain the current provision of civil partnerships on religious premises, on exactly the same basis as currently.... the bar remains on any religious elements forming part of the civil partnership registration"
"the consultation will allow, for the first time, individuals to change their legal gender without having to end their existing marriage or civil partnership".
There's quite a lot more, but I think I've covered the gist of it.
5 comments:
In all fairness, Glyn, you might want to be debating other subjects more than this, but to those people who want to get married, it's something which is life-changing. Supporters of equality should support civil marriage. The only shame is, that this wasn't allowed in the first place.
It wouldn't be taking up so much time if
1)we had civil marriages instead of civil partnerships to begin with.
2)so many people misunderstand the proposals, thinking it involves forcing churches to marry same sex couples.
3)a considerable vocal minority think that two people in love getting hitched is an abomination and will undermine the institution.
I hope there will be equal civil marriage because I believe marriage should be the result of two people in love. We can't help who we fall in love with, but there's so much hate in the world, we should cherish love.
2)so many people misunderstand the proposals, thinking it involves forcing churches to marry same sex couples.
There is no such thing as a Gay Christian,so the idea of a Gay Christian getting married is impossible in Gods sight.
God loves the sinner but hates the sin.
In all this debate sin has not been mentioned at all, after all that is what Gay relationships are all about just plain old fashioned sin, like adultery,stealing,anger etc.
If the proposals go through that probably will be the best thing that could happen for the Church of England,then the TRUE Church can emerge from the ashes,and begin to proclaim the TRUTH!
Surely everyone understands by now that homosexuality is a natural and normal feature of humanity. Once we accept gay people then marriage naturally follows.
Can't Society understand how hurtful the current highly publicised comments from church leaders are? How would our MP feel if his own relationship with his wife were the subject of a public national debate, lead by supposedly caring people, focussing one whether it is abnormal, an abomination, immoral, unnatural. obscene, grotesque and a shame on the UK etc etc? And whether it is a threat to the family, children and the whole of society?
And where in the Bible does it say that it is the role of Christians to judge other people and exclude them from "normal" society?
The fact that it has been traditional to persecute gay and lesbian people is not a valid reason for continung it, anymore than racsim etc. And the fact that some people don't feel quite ready to refrain from doing so is not a goor reason for continuing to demean, decry and abuse a minority of people who do no harm to anyone.
A successful marriage between two people of the opposite sex can be a wonderful thing. If it is made in a Christian context that is great. Likewise a marriage of two people of the same sex can be a wonderful thing.
It is nonsense to suggest, as is being done, that same sex marriage can in any way threaten or damage opposite sex marriages.
The Church should be welcoming everybody and not perpetuating poison and hatred. These ideas are wicked and unchristian.
Well worth a read: http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/?p=3008
Exert below
“David Cameron is right that the values of Christianity are the values that we need’ but he needs our prayers to realise that he cannot pick and choose from the Bible or from the teachings of the Lord. Yes, respect for property helps stop youth looting from shops. Yes, doing unto others as you would have them do unto you helps maintain order in society.
“But keeping a few of Christ’s commandments while breaking a raft of others is to break them all, as the Apostle James points out.
“A little like some of the church today, Mr Cameron overdoes the love and compassion of Christ, but shies away from his laws and judgements. But even then he is selective. He likes being compassionate to homosexuals to the extent of overturning God’s holy institution of marriage, but he doesn’t want a lot of compassion to be shown to last summer’s rioters, or for that matter to the disabled people being made redundant by Remploy.
“Napoleon liked religion when it maintained peace and order, and not when it challenged his assumed right to autocratic rule. Such a convenient approach seems to be catching to leaders.
Anyone who knows a thing about the head of ChristianVoice (link above) would not cite the organisation as an authority on Christ or the Bible. He is, however, an expert on hypocrisy.
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