Background; Responses from C of E, Reform, Changing attitude and media review
Background
Government sources have confirmed that the response to the equal marriage consultation will be published next week. Culture secretary Maria Miller is due to announce the government’s response to the gay marriage consultation on Thursday. It will propose legislation to allow marriage for same-sex couples and also allow churches in England and Wales to conduct ceremonies. Reports say the government plans to fast track legislation in the new year in order to prevent any disagreements rumbling on until 2015.
The initial consultation document said it would not be possible for a same-sex couple to get married in church but the government has changed its mind and is now expected to allow denominations to permit them. David Cameron plans to confront Tory opponents of gay marriage head on next week by coming out in favour of gay weddings in churches. He plans to officially lend his personal support to religious groups conducting gay weddings on their premises if they so wish.
The same conditions will apply as were introduced for civil partnerships. To protect those Churches opposed to same-sex marriage, the legislation will have to allow denominations such as the Quakers to opt in. The planned legislation specifically restricts same-sex unions to civil ceremonies in order to placate opponents.
Church of England responds to PM’s same sex marriage statement
Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement on same sex marriage , the Church of England issued the following statement in which it forcefully objects.
It is important to be clear that insistence on the traditional understanding of marriage is not knee-jerk resistance to change but is based on a conviction that the consequences of change will not be beneficial for society as a whole. Our concern is for the way the meaning of marriage will change for everyone, gay or straight, if the proposals are enacted. Because we believe that the inherited understanding of marriage contributes a vast amount to the common good, our defence of that understanding is motivated by a concern for the good of all in society.
The proposition that same-sex relationships can embody crucial social virtues is not in dispute. To that extent, the Prime Minister’s claim that he supports same-sex marriage from conservative principles is readily understandable. However, the uniqueness of marriage is that it embodies the underlying, objective, distinctiveness of men and women. This distinctiveness and complementarity are seen most explicitly in the biological union of man and woman which potentially brings to the relationship the fruitfulness of procreation.
To remove from the definition of marriage this essential complementarity is to lose any social institution in which sexual difference is explicitly acknowledged. To argue that this is of no social value is to assert that men and women are simply interchangeable individuals. To change the nature of marriage for everyone will be divisive and deliver no obvious legal gains given the rights already conferred by civil partnerships.
We believe that redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships will entail a dilution in the meaning of marriage for everyone by excluding the fundamental complementarity of men and women from the social and legal definition of marriage.
Given the absence of any manifesto commitment for these proposals – and the absence of any commitment in the most recent Queen’s speech – there will need to be an overwhelming mandate from the consultation to move forward with these proposals and make them a legislative priority.
We welcome the fact that in his statement the Prime Minister has signalled he is abandoning the Government’s earlier intention to distinguish between civil and religious marriage. We look forward to studying the Government’s detailed response to the consultation next week and to examining the safeguards it is proposing to give to Churches.
English evangelicals plea to bishops to “mobilise church for marriage”
The Council of Reform urged the Church of England’s House of Bishops not to concentrate exclusively upon discussing the issue of the Consecration of Women to the Episcopate when it meets today and tomorrow, but to focus additionally on the much more pressing and significant issue of the threat to marriage.
Following a 24 hour meeting in Sheffield, the Council issued an urgent statement that said:
“It is understood that Government proposals for a new law on so called “gay marriage” may be imminent and that the proposals may require consummation for a “gay marriage” to be legally valid. Everybody’s marriage will be affected by the result. In law, marriage is a sexual relationship. Incapacity and wilful refusal to consummate a marriage are grounds for annulment, and adultery is one of the five facts which demonstrate irretrievable breakdown. Significantly, it appears that parliament will leave the crucial and delicate task of defining same-sex consummation to the judiciary. However, when consummation is redefined, marriage and marital breakdown are themselves redefined and accordingly the meaning of marriage will be fundamentally altered for all.
“Critical as it is to resolve our current difficulties over women bishops, we urge the House of Bishops, during their meeting, additionally to do all that is required to implement immediately a strategy for the preservation of marriage as it has been traditionally understood throughout history and across cultures. We look to them to mobilise the Church in England and specifically the Church of England to defend marriage.
“The first priority must be for the Archbishops to invite the leaders of all Christian denominations in this country to ask the millions of Christians in this country to join together in a national day of prayer.
“The Council had a fruitful discussion about options for resolving the dilemma over women bishops and continue to pray for a successful outcome to discussions in the New Year.”
Reform is a network of evangelical clergy and laity within the Church of England.
Changing Attitude welcomes government plans for gay marriage in church
The Revd Colin Coward, Director of Changing Attitude, said:
“Changing Attitude welcomes the news that the government proposes to legislate for marriage equality for lesbian and gay couples, including allowing churches to conduct ceremonies. This will place additional pressure on the Church of England to allow individual congregations to solemnise same-sex weddings.
“Many Christian couples long to be able to celebrate their marriage in church, in the presence of their family and friends. Lesbian and gay Christian couples already experience their relationships as a blessing from God, in no way different from straight couples. God sanctifies our relationships and the Church needs to open its doors to celebrate our love and fidelity in covenant relationships.
“The Church of England is already in crisis following the refusal of General Synod to approve women bishops. The majority of church members and of the population of this country believe that the full inclusion of all people in church , whatever their gender, race or sexuality, is what the Spirit of God is revealing to us. People see the church as prejudiced and discriminatory and this is disastrous for its mission and ministry.
“Equal marriage in church will be a gift not only to lesbian and gay couples but to our families and congregations. I hope this will inspire people to more mature faith and deeper spiritual awareness. The government is offering the Church an opportunity to be a transformative body of people revealing God’s infinite and intimate love in all creation.”
The move will anger some Conservative MPs who have always opposed the change in the law and who have argued that it would lead to churches being forced against their will to marry gay couples.
David Cameron said: “I’m a massive supporter of marriage and I don’t want gay people to be excluded from a great institution.”
“But let me be absolutely 100% clear, if there is any church or any synagogue or any mosque that doesn’t want to have a gay marriage it will not, absolutely must not, be forced to hold it. That is absolutely clear in the legislation.
“Also let me make clear, this is a free vote for Members of Parliament but personally I will be supporting it.”
Tory MP Mark Pritchard said he feared exemptions for places of worship in the same-sex marriage Bill were likely to be ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court or the ECHR “within months” despite government assurances it would not be. “Same-sex marriage Bill now exercises Tory grassroots as much as lack of progress on a referendum. Number 10 should hear the alarms bells,” he said on Twitter.
Media reports Saturday 8th
David Cameron faces Tory revolt over vote on same-sex weddings
Guardian – David Cameron is facing a backlash from traditional Conservatives after he confirmed plans to allow churches and religious organisations to host same-sex weddings.
Opponents of gay marriage claim more than 120 Tory backbenchers will reject the plans in the free vote promised in the Commons.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/dec/07/david-cameron-same-sex-weddings
Gay marriage clash looms for Cameron
Cameron accused of ‘broken promise’ as gay couples told they can marry in church
Telegraph – David Cameron is facing a major clash between church and state and the biggest Tory rebellion since coming to power after announcing a u-turn on religious gay weddings.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9730801/Cameron-accused-of-broken-promise-as-gay-couples-told-they-can-marry-in-church.html