• Church of Scotland rejects biblicist position on sex and marriage

    It is going to be important not to underestimate the significance of the votes in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland today. A last ditch attempt was made to get that church to commit to the idea that sex belongs only between a married heterosexual couple. That idea was comprehensively rejected.

    People with widely differing opinions never thought we would see this day. Though the legislation that the Church of Scotland is now consulting on accepting is a dreadful mess, and a long way from equality for LGBT people, today was a huge and historic boost for those who reject the ideas of those who claim the Christian tradition to be by definition narrow and anti-gay in character.

    It seemed to me, as I watched the debate, as though those seeking to promote an anti-gay view had made a huge strategic mistake by going for an all or nothing approach and trying to get the Assembly to affirm only their view.

    Generosity won the day in Edinburgh today. Generosity that has divine fingerprints all over it.

9 responses to “Scotland Says No!”

  1. Tim Avatar

    Hallelujah!!

  2. Susan Sheppard Hedges Avatar
    Susan Sheppard Hedges

    Yes!!!

  3. Martin Reynolds Avatar

    “something that the church overwhelmingly felt was not the way forward”

    …… the way set by the emergency Primates meeting way back when Gene had just been elected was not the way forward and, sad to say, I can’t think of any good that has flowed from it.

    I can only hope that the threats are now over and the listening begins.

  4. Neil Oliver Avatar
    Neil Oliver

    Excellent news.

  5. Zebadee Avatar
    Zebadee

    This has to be good news for the Anglican Communion it’self.

  6. Brother David Avatar
    Brother David

    TBTG!

  7. Brother David Avatar
    Brother David

    BTW, Father Mark Harris in the US says that the Philippine province has already said no to the covenant.

  8. Kelvin Holdsworth Avatar

    Yes – it is reported that the Philippine province has said no, but the reports I saw suggested that it was their bishops who said no rather than a vote in a General Synod.

    My point was that I think that the Scottish Synod is the first actual Synod of a Province to say no. Happy to be proved wrong though.

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