• Equal Marriage – Questions people haven’t thought of #1

    Here’s one for church folk and any passing ethicist.

    Suppose a couple get a civil partnership and they then have a service of blessing in an Episcopal Church – rings, promises, nuptial mass, the whole enchilada, with lovely prayers drawn from the Scottish Episcopal marriage liturgy. (As happens).

    Supposing that is all done with and then suddenly the government come along and offer to make those who have civil partnerships married at the stroke of a pen.

    What is the moral difference between that and a straight couple getting married in church?

    [My interest in this question is to see whether the answers divide between people who say, “There’s no difference, therefore same-sex couples don’t need marriage” and those who say, “There’s no difference, so we should stop shilly-shallying about and wed same-sex couples on the same basis as every else.”]

    Furthermore, might couples expect to go through another ceremony to mark this change of status or not?

2 responses to “Prayer for the Day – Script 6”

  1. John Wetherell Avatar
    John Wetherell

    I like Thought For The Day, but (some times more than others) am put off when the voice of the clergyman appears to belong, even just slightly, to a world of hypocrisy and pretend-holiness. The quality of voice this morning was different, it sounded completely secular, so much so that I was reminded of how extraordinary that vicars and priests tend to put on a voice when they pray. I really liked the content too, and that is why I searched out the name Kelvin Holdsworth on the web. Good luck with your ministry, you have made a small but significant difference in my life this morning.

  2. kelvin Avatar

    Thanks for your comments, John.

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