Anglican responses to Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill; Gay marriage: MPs to vote on proposals for the first time; Maria Miller: teachers not forced to promote gay marriage but must not ‘discriminate’; Government ‘powerless to protect teachers from sack over gay marriage’; Catholic charities at risk after adoption agency ruled to be ‘discriminating’
Anglican responses to Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill
The Church in Wales has issued this: Marriage (Same Sex Couples ) Bill – A statement:
Since the Statement to Parliament by the Minister for Women and Equalities on 11 December 2012, the Government has worked to understand and accommodate the position of the Church in Wales in its equal marriage Bill. As a disestablished church with a legal duty to marry the Church in Wales is uniquely placed. The Bill provides protection for the Church whilst still enabling it to make its own decision on same-sex marriage.
Under the Bill, the duty of Church in Wales ministers to marry will not be extended to same-sex couples. However, should the Church’s Governing Body decide in the future that the Church wishes to conduct such marriages, there is provision in the Bill for the law to be altered without the need for further primary legislation by Parliament. Instead, a resolution from the Church’s Governing Body would trigger an order by the Lord Chancellor for the necessary legal changes to be made.
The Church of England has issued this:
The Rt Rev Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, has today made the following statement on the publication of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.
“I am grateful to the Secretary of State and her officials for the constructive way in which they have consulted with the Church on the issue of effective legal safeguards. I acknowledge the progress made on that front, and the commitment of the Government to ensuring that the churches concerns are properly accommodated in the draft legislation. As we have repeatedly made clear to officials, we regret that more time has not been made available before publication of the Bill to give every detail the attention it deserves. We will wish to comment further when we have had the opportunity to examine the provisions in the Bill more closely.
“The Church of England however continues to hold the view, set out in doctrine and Canon law, that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. It is a social institution that predates both church and state and has been part of the glue that has bound countless successive societies together. I welcome the opportunity that civil partnerships have given to enable same sex couples to mark and celebrate their commitment to each other. Further, I recognise that there is a range of views amongst the membership of the Church of England. I do not however believe that holding to a traditional understanding of marriage is, or should be, regarded as a discriminatory position.
“Many principled and practical concerns about legislating to redefine marriage were set out in the Church of England’s submission to the Government consultation in June 2012. For the Church of England, in common with other denominations and faiths, one central test of this Bill is whether it will preserve and guarantee religious practice and religious conscience. We recognise that the Government has sought hard to do so in the drafting, but as the legislative process continues we shall wish to press serious questions about the implications for wider society, for the significance of procreation and upbringing of children as part of the purpose of marriage, the effect on teaching in schools, and the work of chaplains and others with religious convictions who are involved in public service delivery.
“We have also continued to raise questions about whether it is wise or appropriate to legislate at speed on a matter of such fundamental importance to society, when the proposal was not in any major party manifesto, the Coalition Agreement or the last Queen’s Speech. The lack of a clear mandate and the absence of an overwhelming public consensus for change ought at least to give pause for thought.”
Gay marriage: MPs to vote on proposals for the first time
From BBC News – MPs will get their first chance to vote on plans to allow same-sex marriages in England and Wales next week.
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill will be debated in Parliament on Tuesday, the leader of the Commons Andrew Lansley has announced.
The legislation will allow gay marriage, including by religious organisations which want to offer it.
However, The Church of England and Church in Wales will be legally barred from marrying same-sex couples.
The plans have divided the Conservative Party and David Cameron has given his MPs a free vote on the bill.
Labour and the Lib Dems back the proposals to legalise gay marriage, but Labour said the exemption for the established Church was “disappointing”.
The Church of England and Roman Catholics, among other denominations, have voiced opposition to the plans and are expected to oppose the bill, even with its caveats.
But some religious groups, including Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism, are in favour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21178387
Maria Miller: teachers not forced to promote gay marriage but must not ‘discriminate’
By John Bingham, Telegraph – Maria Miller, who is also the equalities minister, today tried to allay fears that teachers could be sacked for expressing traditional Christian views on marriage in opposition to same-sex ceremonies.
As the Government prepares to publish its Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill, Mrs Miller emphasised that teachers will not be forced to promote a particular view of marriage and the Church of England will not be made to conduct same-sex ceremonies.
She said teachers will be able to reflect the fact that different religious groups have different approaches to the issue of homosexuality. However, they should teach in a “balanced way” regardless of any religious opposition to the new laws.
“Look, teachers are able to and entitled to express their views about same-sex marriage and there’s no requirement at all for them to promote it but, obviously, we wouldn’t expect teachers to be offensive or discriminate in any way about anybody,” she told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme.
“I think it’s important to say that in the context of talking about religious belief, perhaps in a church school that, there are different views on these matters, that there are views that marriage is between a man and a woman, particularly when it comes to, say, the Church of England, the Catholic church or the Church in Wales.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9825960/Maria-Miller-teachers-not-forced-to-promote-gay-marriage-but-must-not-discriminate.html
Government ‘powerless to protect teachers from sack over gay marriage’
By John Bingham, Telegraph – Michael Gove fears that the Government could be powerless to stop primary school teachers being sacked for refusing to teach gay marriage, it emerged last night.
The Education Secretary issued formal reassurances that teachers and other staff who hold traditional views on marriage should not be punished for refusing to promote same-sex marriage at work.
But a senior source in Mr Gove’s department said the UK was not “in control” and that the ultimate decision might “inevitably” be taken at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
It comes as the Coalition prepares to publish a bill to allow same-sex couples to marry.
David Cameron believes that gay marriage is a fundamental issue of equality and is determined to make it law.
But he is facing a backlash from within his own party and churches who believe it would undermine the institution of marriage by redefining it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9825341/Government-powerless-to-protect-teachers-from-sack-over-gay-marriage.html
Catholic charities at risk after adoption agency ruled to be ‘discriminating’
By Ed West, Catholic Herald – A leading Catholic lawyer has warned that Catholic charities across Britain are at risk from equality laws after an adoption agency was told it could lose its charitable status.
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator ruled that St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society in Glasgow is directly discriminating against gay people by refusing to place children in the care of same-sex couples.
The regulator said that although the charity provides a valuable service, it believed its current practice was unlawful, and gave it three months to change.
The ruling came about after a complaint by the National Secular Society.
Martin Tyson, the Scottish Charity Regulator’s head of registration, said: ‘We acknowledge the valuable service provided by this charity, but the fact is that all charities must comply with the law, including the Equality Act 2010.”
But Neil Addison of the Thomas More Legal Centre said the regulator threatening to remove the agency from the charities’ register was “surprising”.
He said: “There is an exemption in the Equality Act for charities. If what they’re doing is breaking the Equality Act there is a procedure for challenging it, for saying what they’re doing is unlawful. More at:
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/01/24/catholic-charities-at-risk-after-adoption-agency-ruled-to-be-discriminating/
Report that ‘David Cameron is facing a struggle to persuade more than half of Conservative MPs into supporting gay marriage in the most divisive vote of his leadership’. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article3667759.ece
Report that Cabinet Minister Philip Hammond has raised fears that plans to allow same-sex marriage could mean that the Church is forced to conduct gay marriages.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267329/Hammond-breaks-ranks-fears-gay-marriage-saying-threaten-religious-freedom.html
Coverage of the latest designs of ecclesiastical wear, unveiled on the “Clergy Catwalk” in Bristol. The designs are those of Juliet Hemingray.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267042/Vicars-Bristol-model-latest-ecclesiastical-wear.html
Report that Baroness Warsi, the Minister for Faith and Communities, will warn in a speech today about “Anti-Muslim hated …fuelled by an underlying, profound mistrust” of people who follow Islam.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/baroness-warsi-fewer-than-one-in-four-people-believe-islam-is-compatible-with-british-way-of-life-8464026.html
Report that ‘a boy aged six is at the centre of a religious row after he was stopped from wearing a Christian symbol at school.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267500/Primary-school-bans-year-old-boy-Eddie-Thompson-wearing-Christian-band-class-health-safety-reasons.html