Church Society on Religious Ceremonies for Civil Partnerships

Posted on March 6, 2010 
Filed under News

Press Release from the Church Society –  5 March 2010

Religious Ceremonies for Civil Partnerships.

Earlier this week parliament voted to lift a ban on religious ceremonies being conducted for civil partnerships.

Because of other legislation in recent years, purporting to be about equality, this latest change will create an even more difficult environment for Christians.  Clergy of the established Church will be under particular pressure to conduct services which they in conscience believe to be wrong.  They may face the threat of legal action if they insist on following their conscience.  Parliament has increasingly sought to interfere in religious affairs.

We remain convinced that the recognition of Civil Partnerships by the state was a grave mistake and one which our nation will come to regret.  It is one of a number of policies that have undermined families.  Families are the fundamental building block of society.  The collapse of families and family life is having terrible consequences for individuals, particularly children, and will erode society further.  In this, as in other areas, we are witnessing political leaders who are abandoning the wisdom of God in preference for the folly of man.

For many Christians, the anti-Christian nature of recent legislation, supported by all the main political parties, creates a particular problem.  The mainstream parties have all abandoned the Christian moral tradition and the Biblical foundations of our legal and education systems.  Christians will not want to vote for political parties who are antagonistic to their beliefs and who are acting to prevent Christians living in accordance with their faith.

Source.