Nicholas Holtam, the Bishop of Salisbury, has made clear his support for allowing same-sex couples to marry. Officially the Church of England is opposed to equal marriage but many members are in favour. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, covering England and Wales, is to be debated by the House of Lords.
Nicholas Holtam, the Bishop of Salisbury, has made clear his support for allowing same-sex couples to marry. Officially the Church of England is opposed to equal marriage but many members are in favour. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, covering England and Wales, is to be debated by the House of Lords.
He had spoken in favour of marriage equality in April 2012. In a recent letter to Waheed Alli, a peer who has campaigned for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) equality, Holtam explained his reasons.
He acknowledged that the archbishops had opposed the measure and referred to a Faith and Order Commission document, ‘Men and women in marriage’, but pointed out, “That this is ‘for study’ indicates a discussion continues to run within the Church of England”, in which “there are a variety of views”.
He explained that “Christian morality comes from the mix of Bible, Christian tradition and our reasoned experience. Sometimes Christians have had to rethink the priorities of the Gospel in the light of experience.”
For instance, it is no longer regarded as acceptable to justify slavery and apartheid using the Bible. “The Biblical texts have not changed; our interpretation has.”
He argued that “The possibility of ‘gay marriage’ does not detract from heterosexual marriage unless we think that homosexuality is a choice rather than the given identity of a minority of people. Indeed the development of marriage for same sex couples is a very strong endorsement of the institution of marriage.”
While Holtam is not a member of the House of Lords, his support for allowing same-sex couples to marry may remind those debating and voting on the issue that there is considerable support for equal marriage among Christians and other people of faith.
Religious leaders who privately favour greater recognition of same-sex partnerships are often reluctant to argue for this in public. This may give the impression that faith groups are united on an issue on which, in reality, opinions vary. The Bishop of Salisbury’s willingness to speak out has highlighted the diversity of views on this issue in faith communities.
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(c) Savitri Hensman is a regular Christian commentator on politics, social justice, welfare and religion. She works in the care and equalities sector and is an Ekklesia associate.