Church of England bishops have given up trying to block equal marriage in England and Wales. Though several spoke and voted against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in the House of Lords, this bid was heavily defeated. Many church members, including some bishops, support marriage equality, though others are strongly opposed.
Church of England bishops have given up trying to block equal marriage in England and Wales. Though several spoke and voted against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in the House of Lords, this bid was heavily defeated. Many church members, including some bishops, support marriage equality, though others are strongly opposed.
“Both Houses of Parliament have now expressed a clear view by large majorities on the principle that there should be legislation to enable same-sex marriages to take place in England and Wales. It is now the duty and responsibility of the Bishops who sit in the House of Lords to recognise the implications of this decision and to join with other Members in the task of considering how this legislation can be put into better shape,” stated Bishop of Leicester Tim Stevens. He convenes the bishops in the Lords.
He continued, “For the Bishops the issue now is not primarily one of protections and exemptions for people of faith, important though it is to get that right, not least where teaching in schools and freedom of speech are concerned. The Bill now requires improvement in a number of other key respects, including in its approach to the question of fidelity in marriage and the rights of children.”
The official church position has been that gender difference and procreation are central to marriage. But his statement seemed to recognise that the differences between same-sex and opposite-sex couples might not be quite so large: “If this Bill is to become law, it is crucial that marriage as newly defined is equipped to carry within it as many as possible of the virtues of the understanding of marriage it will replace. Our focus during Committee and Report stages in the coming weeks and months will be to address those points in a spirit of constructive engagement.”
David Walker, newly appointed as Bishop of Manchester after serving in Dudley in the diocese of Worcester, commented that the Bill was flawed. However he said, “I fully understand why in a society where for so long gay people have been subjected to such abuse and ill treatment many people say if they are asking for equality in the area of marriage that is something they can get.
“So I can see why in our society many people now – the majority of people – think that if this will help them to feel less badly treated then let them have it.”
Bishop of Salisbury Nicholas Holtam had written in support of the Bill. In his view and that of many other Anglicans in Britain, “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.”
A working group is reviewing Church of England policy on sexuality, though at present there are no proposals for celebrating civil partnerships in church, let alone marriages for same-sex couples when this becomes possible by law. Not only among lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) Christians but also their friends and families, many would like to see a shift towards greater inclusion. The House of Bishops and Synod, the main decision-making body, will have to decide how to respond.
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(c) Savitri Hensman is a regular Christian commentator on politics, social justice, welfare and religion. She was written extensively on the theological and religious issues involved in debates about sexuality and marriage equality. She works in the care and equalities sector and is an Ekklesia associate.