Church Of England Refuses To Budge On Same-Sex Marriage Ban

But church leaders insist they want "maximum freedom" for LGBT clergy
From: NewNowNext

 The Church of England, which was literally founded so Henry VIII could redefine marriage, has reaffirmed its opposition to marriage equality in a document released Friday.

A report from the House of Bishops said the Church should adopt a “fresh tone and culture of welcome and support” toward LGBT people, and offer gay clergy “maximum freedom,” but maintains the doctrine of marriage as between one man and one woman.

 Bishop Graham Jones said the document, which will be considered by the general Synod in February, was needed to help the Church with “adopting to fashions.”

Under the new plan, clergy members would have more leniency in celebrating same-sex unions. Asked whether priests would be reprimanded for blessing a same-sex marriage, Bishop Pete Broadbent said “individual cases will be treated individually.”

Currently, gay and lesbian clergy are asked to remain celibate when they change jobs or request promotion to Bishop. Should the motion be ratified, though, priests would no longer face probing questions about their personal lives.

 Critics say this does little to change the current state of affairs, and simply creates a Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy in the Church of England.

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who is in a civil partnership, told the Sunday Times the new proposal “is based essentially on dishonesty and encouraging clergy to lie.”

And out Christian broadcaster Vicky Beeching said it “requires serious mental and emotional gymnastics to hold together.”

“For LGBT Christians this isn’t a piece of paper, it’s our lives,” said Beeching, who came out in 2014. “I can personally say that for me, documents like this affect my physical and mental well being on a deep level. It’s very painful to love Jesus, love the church, and yet feel rejected and like a second-class citizen because I’m gay.”

The Anglican Communion has long struggled with the issue of homosexuality: In 1998, Anglican bishops passed a resolution stating that homosexual acts were “incompatible with Scripture.” Just four years later the Anglican Church of Canada began permitted the blessing of same-sex unions—and voted last year to approve marriage equality.

In 2003, Gene Robinson was elected the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Church. His ordination led to an ongoing schism, fueled by more conservative diocese in Africa and elsewhere.