The Church of England and Same Sex Marriage

Prime Minister Cameron finds himself at odds with leading figures of the established church.
By Mark Tooley
3.12.12

Two notable retired Church of England bishops have recently spoken forcefully against Britain's possibly legalizing same-sex marriage by 2015.

"This matter is so serious and so important for our nation that we cannot allow this act of cultural and theological vandalism to happen," recently warned former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey in uncharacteristically vivid language. "The government has no mandate from the people to redefine marriage, and that is why we are gathered here today," he told a group called Coalition for Marriage. Carey has also called potentially legalized same sex marriage "one of the greatest political power grabs in history."

Tony Blair's former government legalized British same-sex civil unions in 2004. Prime Minister David Cameron supports a process that would legalize same-sex marriage by 2015 for England and Wales.

"Marriage will only remain the bedrock of society if it is between a man and a woman," Carey has written in a recent op-ed. "The honourable estate of matrimony precedes both the state and the church, and neither of these institutions have the right to redefine it in such a fundamental way." the rest

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