[Ineluctable]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18405318

What does everyone think about this?

I for one am relieved that the Church of England is continuing to defend the traditional idea and sacred institution of marriage.

[fallenangel]

This can't end well...

[Good bloke]

Government plans to open marriage to gay couples by 2015 could undermine its status as the state church, it said.

Good. Let's hope the church supports disestablishment in the near future so we can have the secualr state we deserve.

[Miracle Day]

First of all I'm Christian.

Who cares what the damn Church of England says? Religion should not interfere with politics, especially not in a secular country.

[NeuralGroove]

This is not a religious issue. The Church feels fundamentally threatened because people do things outside of their own demands. Christians arguing that gays undermine the institution of marriage is a little like Hindus arguing that carnivorous Christians undermine the sanctity of the cow by eating beef.

Hindus, of course, don't do this (or at least, not en masse). It seems that the time has come for the Church to accept that their values cannot be stretched over the lives of everyone. It is for that reason precisely that the state should adopt a position of secular (not anti-religious) neutrality.

Marriage is a legal, financial and social institution and the Church has been practising it on behalf of the people and the state for centuries. If it cannot accept a modernised role to fit in with the needs of the people and the demands of the state, then it cannot be a reliable provider and the move will be towards registry offices and humanist ceremonies (as is the current trend).

[electriic_ink]

I applaud the government for standing up to the Church.

[somethingbeautiful]

Comment number 11 is spot on:

Here we go again. More complaining from the church about an issue that doesnt concern them. If it believes that a marrage is only for procreation then it should have fertility tests and age limits for marrage. If it believes that marrage is about love and a life long comitment to each other, whats that got to do with gender?

[TurboCretin]

(Original post by Ineluctable)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18405318

What does everyone think about this?

I for one am relieved that the Church of England is continuing to defend the traditional idea and sacred institution of marriage.

I for one am relieved that the Church of England is continuing to marginalise itself.

[DaveSmith99]

(Original post by somethingbeautiful)
Comment number 11 is spot on:

That comment sums it up perfectly.

[adsyrah]

(Original post by Ineluctable)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18405318

What does everyone think about this?

I for one am relieved that the Church of England is continuing to defend the traditional idea and sacred institution of marriage.

Do you know your history? Do you know why the Church of England exists?

They're showing themselves to be self-serving bigots. Which is probably doing more to help the cause for marriage equality than keeping quiet would.

[SpiggyTopes]

Why oppose it? It doesn't cause you any harm at all but it could make a lot of poeple very happy.

[Snagprophet]

The Church doesn't represent Christian ideals. It was there as a way of bringing order to chaos. But the world's changed. We have newer ways of bringing order to chaos. You don't need to go to church to be Christian. Let's hope that, from not hearing anything from the minor religions of England, that they are happy to abide by the new rules of this land.

[FDR]

(Original post by Ineluctable)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18405318

What does everyone think about this?

I for one am relieved that the Church of England is continuing to defend the traditional idea and sacred institution of marriage.

Defending it on the basis of it being 'sacred and traditional' is extremely weak. Look at countries that have legalised gay marriage, such as Canada and Norway, and you will realise that the institution of marriage hasn't broken down at all in those countries, and infact, remains as strong as ever. I'd also just like to add, that just because the church defends it, it doesn't mean that it is right -the church once used to defend slavery remember.

As a Christian, I disagree with them. Any Christian will know that it isn't our place to judge others, and that we should love and accept everyone, regardless of who they are, or what they have done. I think the church, in this case, should practice what they preach.

[LPK]

I honestly couldn't care less what any religion has to say regarding marriage.

The thing that annoys me more about this debate is that it's so damn easy to find mass quantities of articles about religious leaders condemning same-sex marriage and relationships, but many of the same people are shockingly mute when it comes to allegations of paedophilia within such institutions. I think that sums up how awful their priorities are, and religious hierarchies need to spend more time focusing on themselves rather attempting to force their morality onto everybody else. Until churches show they have done everything they can to sort out their own scandals (rather than simply attempting to cover it up) then they have no credibility by acting like a moral compass of society.

[madders94]

I just love the fact that they say it could undermine marriage or change marriage completely when that's what the whole CofE was set up for in Tudor times, the Catholic church wouldn't let Henry VIII remarry after divorcing his wife because in those days I guess to the Catholics, divorce was as bad as homosexuality is to the Christians these days, so Henry set up the Church of England and declared himself the head of it and made it possible to remarry after a divorce. It is incredibly hypocritical for any member or official of the church to say that they condemn something which could "change the sanctity of marriage" or whatever, because hundreds of years ago they did exactly that!

[Beebumble]

If they're not getting married in their churches it's none of their business.

[SaharaDesert]

(Original post by Ineluctable)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18405318

What does everyone think about this?

I for one am relieved that the Church of England is continuing to defend the traditional idea and sacred institution of marriage.

About time they stood up for themselves.

[LurkerintheDark]

I'm not particularly religious, but I know gay marriage to be a perversion - and gays raising kids is an even weightier abomination. Logically you cannot be in favour of this gay marriage rubbish and then deny polygamists or family members the right to come up with all sorts of different marital arrangements. Do you really want to see that? Because after all they're all consenting adults who love each other - how dare you interfere with their human rights? No - marriage is between one man and one woman, no exceptions.

[adsyrah]

(Original post by LurkerintheDark)
I'm not particularly religious, but I know gay marriage to be a perversion - and gays raising kids is an even weightier abomination. Logically you cannot be in favour of this gay marriage rubbish and then deny polygamists or family members the right to come up with all sorts of different marital arrangements. Do you really want to see that? Because after all they're all consenting adults who love each other - how dare you interfere with their human rights? No - marriage is between one man and one woman, no exceptions.

That never used to be the case... polygamy was quite well accepted in the past - some societies still allow it.

And your use of "abomination" makes me think you're maybe a teensy bit religious

[LurkerintheDark]

(Original post by adsyrah)
That never used to be the case... polygamy was quite well accepted in the past - some societies still allow it.

And your use of "abomination" makes me think you're maybe a teensy bit religious

I'm totally atheistic, and in actual fact it annoys me when people characterise all people opposed to gay marriage as religious - because there's a perfectly sensible secular argument against opening the floodgates to all sorts of different marital configurations.