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Priests attack gay marriage in strongly-worded letter read out across Scotland's 500 churches
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No One
Aug 28, 2012, 2:57:43 AM8/28/12
to
The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday staged a day of
protest over plans to legalise gay marriage.
A letter attacking proposals to give the go-ahead for same-sex
marriages was read out by priests across the country’s 500
Catholic churches, demanding politicians ‘sustain rather than
subvert marriage’.
It said: ‘The church’s teaching on marriage is unequivocal: It
is uniquely the union of a man and a woman and it is wrong that
governments, politicians or parliaments should seek to alter or
destroy that reality.’
The Scottish government later issued a statement reiterating its
intentions to legalise same sex marriage and religious
ceremonies for civil partnerships – because ‘it is the right
thing to do’.
However it was quick to stress that no clergy would be forced to
carry out the ceremonies in a church. The issue remains under
consultation in England and Wales.
A government spokesman said: ‘We are equally committed to
protecting religious freedom and freedom of expression, and
ensuring that religious celebrants opposed to same-sex marriage
do not have to solemnise same-sex ceremonies.’
Last month the Scottish government announced it will become the
first part of the UK to push ahead with the legalisation of same-
sex marriage. The issue remains under consultation in England
and Wales.
The Catholic Church’s letter also announced the launch of a
‘National Commission for Marriage and the Family’ to co-ordinate
a campaign against gay marriage. It is expected to be supported
by the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Last week Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Catholic
Church in Scotland, who has described gay marriage as a
‘grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right’,
broke off discussions on the issue with First Minister Alex
Salmond.
Other churches in Scotland have also voiced concern about the
same sex marriage plans.
The Church of Scotland feared the Scottish Government was
‘rushing ahead of something that affects all the people of
Scotland without adequate debate and reflection.’
But the Equality Network, which is campaigning in support of
same-sex marriage in Scotland, urged politicians to stand firm
over the plans.
Tom French, the charity’s policy co-ordinator, said: ‘It is
increasingly clear that the Church has an anti-gay agenda that
it wants to impose on the rest of society.’
Throughout the UK, civil partnerships for same-sex couples have
been legal since 2005.
These confer the same rights as heterosexual civil marriage, but
go by a different title and cannot be solemnised by a religious
ceremony.
Scotland will be the first part of the UK to bring in new
legalisation that will end all distinctions between the two
types of union.
In Westminster, the Government’s consultation on allowing
marriages for gay and lesbian couples in England and Wales
closed in June.
The results will be considered by the coalition before
publishing its formal response ahead of the next election.
However, it is expected there will be similar opposition from
the Catholic Church in this country if legalisation of same-sex
marriage goes ahead.
Earlier this year, the Archbishop of Westminster warned that
David Cameron’s pledge to legalise homosexual marriage would
threaten the true meaning of a sacred union.
In a letter read from pulpits across England and Wales in March,
it was warned that plans to extend marriage to same-sex couples
would be a ‘profoundly radical step’ that reduces it to a vague
commitment between two people.
The consultation process carried out by the Scottish Government
found just over 80 per cent of respondents in favour of same sex
marriage.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2194044/Gay-marriage-
Scotland-Priests-attack-gay-marriage-strongly-worded-letter-read-
Scotlands-500-churches.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
protest over plans to legalise gay marriage.
A letter attacking proposals to give the go-ahead for same-sex
marriages was read out by priests across the country’s 500
Catholic churches, demanding politicians ‘sustain rather than
subvert marriage’.
It said: ‘The church’s teaching on marriage is unequivocal: It
is uniquely the union of a man and a woman and it is wrong that
governments, politicians or parliaments should seek to alter or
destroy that reality.’
The Scottish government later issued a statement reiterating its
intentions to legalise same sex marriage and religious
ceremonies for civil partnerships – because ‘it is the right
thing to do’.
However it was quick to stress that no clergy would be forced to
carry out the ceremonies in a church. The issue remains under
consultation in England and Wales.
A government spokesman said: ‘We are equally committed to
protecting religious freedom and freedom of expression, and
ensuring that religious celebrants opposed to same-sex marriage
do not have to solemnise same-sex ceremonies.’
Last month the Scottish government announced it will become the
first part of the UK to push ahead with the legalisation of same-
sex marriage. The issue remains under consultation in England
and Wales.
The Catholic Church’s letter also announced the launch of a
‘National Commission for Marriage and the Family’ to co-ordinate
a campaign against gay marriage. It is expected to be supported
by the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Last week Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Catholic
Church in Scotland, who has described gay marriage as a
‘grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right’,
broke off discussions on the issue with First Minister Alex
Salmond.
Other churches in Scotland have also voiced concern about the
same sex marriage plans.
The Church of Scotland feared the Scottish Government was
‘rushing ahead of something that affects all the people of
Scotland without adequate debate and reflection.’
But the Equality Network, which is campaigning in support of
same-sex marriage in Scotland, urged politicians to stand firm
over the plans.
Tom French, the charity’s policy co-ordinator, said: ‘It is
increasingly clear that the Church has an anti-gay agenda that
it wants to impose on the rest of society.’
Throughout the UK, civil partnerships for same-sex couples have
been legal since 2005.
These confer the same rights as heterosexual civil marriage, but
go by a different title and cannot be solemnised by a religious
ceremony.
Scotland will be the first part of the UK to bring in new
legalisation that will end all distinctions between the two
types of union.
In Westminster, the Government’s consultation on allowing
marriages for gay and lesbian couples in England and Wales
closed in June.
The results will be considered by the coalition before
publishing its formal response ahead of the next election.
However, it is expected there will be similar opposition from
the Catholic Church in this country if legalisation of same-sex
marriage goes ahead.
Earlier this year, the Archbishop of Westminster warned that
David Cameron’s pledge to legalise homosexual marriage would
threaten the true meaning of a sacred union.
In a letter read from pulpits across England and Wales in March,
it was warned that plans to extend marriage to same-sex couples
would be a ‘profoundly radical step’ that reduces it to a vague
commitment between two people.
The consultation process carried out by the Scottish Government
found just over 80 per cent of respondents in favour of same sex
marriage.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2194044/Gay-marriage-
Scotland-Priests-attack-gay-marriage-strongly-worded-letter-read-
Scotlands-500-churches.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Ubiquitous
Aug 28, 2012, 4:36:45 AM8/28/12
to
no...@nowhere.com wrote:
>The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday staged a day of
>protest over plans to legalise gay marriage.
And you posted this off-topic article here because?
>The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday staged a day of
>protest over plans to legalise gay marriage.
--
"Re-electing Obama is like backing The Titanic up and hitting the
iceberg a second time."
Bill Steele
Aug 28, 2012, 3:03:47 PM8/28/12
to
In article
<8a060101c104fe3d...@msgid.frell.theremailer.net>,
All this over a misreading of Matthew 19.
Well, more like a misappropriation of Matthew 19 to support bigotry.
<8a060101c104fe3d...@msgid.frell.theremailer.net>,
Well, more like a misappropriation of Matthew 19 to support bigotry.
Richard Tobin
Aug 28, 2012, 5:43:18 PM8/28/12
to
In article <ws21-1CBC45.1...@70-3-168-216.pools.spcsdns.net>,
you generally have to misappropriate it to oppose bigotry.
-- Richard
Bill Steele <ws...@cornell.edu> wrote:
>Well, more like a misappropriation of Matthew 19 to support bigotry.
Why misappropriation? On a straightforward reading of the bible,
>Well, more like a misappropriation of Matthew 19 to support bigotry.
you generally have to misappropriate it to oppose bigotry.
-- Richard
bof
Sep 14, 2012, 3:26:54 PM9/14/12
to
In message <k1hvus$2gg$3...@dont-email.me>, Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net>
writes
--
bof at bof dot me dot uk
writes
>no...@nowhere.com wrote:
>
>>The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday staged a day of
>>protest over plans to legalise gay marriage.
>
>And you posted this off-topic article here because?
>
And where would "here" be? <trad>
>
>>The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday staged a day of
>>protest over plans to legalise gay marriage.
>
>And you posted this off-topic article here because?
>
--
bof at bof dot me dot uk
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