Here’s the video of yesterday’s sermon – somewhere along the way I’ve managed to lose the text, but the video is here in full. It is about Adam and Eve and about how their story is about now not then. There’s a nod to temptation and a chocolate boutique. I had the atonement in the back of my mind when I was writing it. Oh, and I included a semicolon. See if you can spot it.
I think the issue is that the SNP Government is going to authorise religious same sex marriages as well as civil ones.
It would be an obvious compromise to allow civil weddings but not religious ones – that seems to be the route the UK Govt will go down.
It would be tempting for the SG to do the same. It’s a neat solution – that way they could say there is no question of religious denominations being forced to perform same sex marriages. It will only be civil ceremonies.
And, let’s face it, although there are some religious denominationa which support same sex marriage – Unitarians, Quakers, Liberal Jews, Pagan Federation etc – how many Unitarians, Quakers, Liberal Jews, Pagans etc are actually out there? They are very much outnumbered by the Catholics, Muslims and fundamentalist Protestants aren’t they?
But for some reason the SG has decided to go for the option which allows religious as well as civil same sex marriages. We can only assume that, for them, that is actually an issue of principle, of support for religious freedom.
But it makes it more complicated doesn’t it? Because they have to find a way to protect the rights of religious denominations which wish to conduct same sex marriages while also protecting the rights of religious denominations who do not want to conduct same sex marriages. And do that in the context of legislation which protects religious rights, freedom of speech and equality which is not within their control.
Putting aside any issues of substance here, I’m not sure you’re being quite accurate in your interpretation of John Haldane’s Newsnicht appearance. He was careful to distinguish between civil partnerships and same sex marriage, saying that the latter had to be discussed within an understanding of the ‘common good’ (a discussion which the programme didn’t have time to allow). I’d be amazed if he’s changed his opposition to same sex marriage (expressed quite regularly in the media eg in the Beyond Belief programme here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b019rlng/Beyond_Belief_Same_Sex_Marriage/).
As to whether Haldane was criticizing the Cardinal -I suspect any interpretation along these lines would require quite a degree of cynicism (or wishful thinking!) given his previously highly supportive attitude (eg http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6707465.stm).
I met him when Ruth and I did the Big Questions earlier this year. Apparently, Haldane is an advisor to Pope Benedict….
There may not be many Unitarians, Quakers, Reform Jews in Scotland but there are a lot of Humanist weddings (I believe in Scotland in 2010 the number of weddings by Humanist celebrants exceeded the number of Catholic weddings) so they are the biggest group performing legally recognized opposite-sex marriages who would like to perform legally recognized same-sex marriages (as opposed to a ceremony after a same-sex marriage has been registered at the registry office).
Right, I’m back in the saddle and back online after a good conference in Oxford and a couple of weeks of holiday. Let me just pause to welcome any readers who find themselves here from the link on the Church Times blog. I’m surprised that it has not been easier to identify more people blogging…
Those who are part of the Scottish Episcopal Church blogging community (ie bloggers and those who comment) are invited doon the watter on 17 May 2008 for Bloggers and Bluebells with Kimberly who writes Wonderful Exchange. Looks fun. Those who lurk have only to comment to be part of the party. De-lurk, de-lurk whoever you…
Whilst I am away, you should be looking for other blogs to read. [I’m golden eagle spotting in Argyll, BTW, and the total today is 1 golden eagle spotted]. Have a read at Kate’s blog a telling place – she’s on my blogroll. What Kate has to say is worth reading in itself, but you…
There have been a few (episcopal) head over the parapet moments recently that should not go unspotted. Firstly, Bishop Idris’s interview on Good Friday. (I was too occupied listening to Fr Primus preaching on Good Friday that I did not spot it at the time). It can be found here. Then there was Bishop Robert’s…
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