UK Gay Men Want Church Weddings

A survey of gay men in the UK has found two fifths want a church wedding.

The research, by UK website Gaydar.co.uk, polled more than 6,000 men to coincide with the government’s lifting of the ban on civil unions in religious premises on December 5.

60% of those surveyed want the British Government to enforce the lifting of the ban with the Church. The Church of England, who represent the most churches in the UK, has blocked any officials from blessing gay couples in its churches.

The law was changed because of pressure from Quakers, liberal Jewish congregations, Unitarians and other religious groups who wanted the right to conduct gay weddings.

The UK is currently considering whether to introduce marriage equality, which has the support of the Prime Minister, David Cameron. Since 2005, same-sex couples have had access to civil partnerships, which give most of the rights of marriage.

In the Gaydar survey, 13% said they would refuse a civil partnership until the Church accepts the lifting of the ban.

The Scottish government is consulting on marriage equality and over 50,000 people have given their views.

Organized opposition from Scottish churches, led by the Catholic Church, has been met by a ‘rainbow coalition’ of organizations, which includes unions and some religious groups as well as LGBT organizations.

Related stories:

UK Allows Civil Partnerships in Churches

More Progress on Gay Marriage in Brazil and…Poland?

Scottish Conservatives Elect Lesbian Leader

Read more: church, marriage equality, religion, same-sex marriage, scotland, uk

Picture credit darcyandkat

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Eternal G.

4:08PM PST on Jan 4, 2012

So... give it... what's the problem?

send a green star

Jerry H.

12:09PM PST on Dec 29, 2011

The Hebrew word "toevah" was used in Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13. "Toevah" has been translated in our Bibles as "abomination" or "detestable". The "toevah" was used throughout the Old Testament for activity involving ethnic contamination and religious idolatry. "Toevah" refers to things that were ritually unclean - like eating pork.

It is significant that another Hebrew word, "zimah," also translated "abomination," which means intrinsic evil or evil by its very nature, was not used in Leviticus 18:22, or Leviticus 20:13.

It is also significant that female homosexual relationships are not mentioned in the old testament. That's because they aren't talking about sexual orientation, they are talking about idolatrous practices.

12:08PM PST on Dec 29, 2011

Leviticus is constantly taken out of context. These two lines do not condemn homosexuals when you examine Leviticus as a whole and relate the historical times.

Leviticus 18:22:
"You shall not lie with a male as those who lie with a female; it is an abomination."

Leviticus 20:13:
"If a man lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination and they shall surely be put to death."

Both of these verses refer to heterosexuals who participated in fertility rituals in order to guarantee good crops and healthy flocks, not homosexuals, there is absolutely no mention of sexual orientation or homosexuality. Also, the word abomination was used for anything that was considered to be religiously unclean or dealing with any type idol worship.

Ron G.

12:19PM PST on Dec 28, 2011

Debbie...i am not sure of the relevance of your comment to this forum. You are entitled to believe and comment as you wish though.
God indeed was the inspiration behind the Bible but He carefully guided the hand of the people who wrote it.
History does record that many wars were fought in the name of religion but that is all they were.When Christianity was used under that name,the people involved for the attrocities were actually not Christian.If you refer to old testament times,Chrstianity did not then exist but religions did.In new Testamnt times,wars were fought under the guise of Chritianity even though their motives were far from what Christianity is and what Christ taught.But again,religion...which can represent any belief...including homosexulaity...was the motivation for many.
I am not telling you how to live your life.That is a personal decision only you can make just like homosexuality which is the basis of this forum.And it is the same reason why it can never be part of a true church life.God will never condone it and thoroughly condemns it.But that is not the same as telling others how to live their lives.It is their own personal choice and not part of their created being.

Debbie B.

10:36AM PST on Dec 28, 2011

God never wrote a book. Man made God in his own image, not vice/versa.

The bible and it's imatators have been responsible for most of the wars and man's inhumanity to man since the begining of time.

I am sick too death of bible thumping bigots trying to tell me how to live. When will you self righteous busybodies learn to mind your own dam business.

10:06AM PST on Dec 28, 2011

I also was correct. I busted the troll ego and can easily tell from your post =) I tend to have that effect on trolls when they realize their trolling has failed so miserably. Owning trolls since 1996 ^_^

10:04AM PST on Dec 28, 2011

The Sodom Story - Genesis 19:1-29
Homophobic Viewpoint: "Sodom was destroyed because of homosexuality."
Scriptural Viewpoint: Sodom was a lush beautiful region of land whose inhabitants had known the goodness of God. Despite their exposure to, experience with, and witness of the one true loving Creator, the people of Sodom had rejected a relationship with God, and turned to numerous types of idolatry. When God's messengers were sent to the city, the men of Sodom responded by threatening the ultimate act of violent abuse, murder, disrespect and humiliation. They were going to rape God's representatives.

All other Old and New Testament references to Sodom involved the sins of idolatry, inhospitality, indifference toward the poor and the rejection of God's messengers. There are no references to same sex acts or homosexuality.

RonG: Lol! You responded directly at me in your next post. Another lie i see :) Since you will not respond to my evidence nor try to refute what i wrote, i will copy/pasta your failed trolling as well as other points ^_^

the trolling of Ron G!

Ron G wrote: "You are 50yrs old and acting like an imature teenager .!"
Ron G wrote: "Jerry,you are typycal of many new age young people who claim to know it all."
Ron G wrote: "I will not respond to such stupidity"
Ron G wrote: "This post is about homo's"

Ron G wrote: "man is not born with the homosexuality attributes."

But refuses to answer these simple questions to prove his point!

# of times RonG avoided these questions: 3

Are you male? (If not, reverse the questions to the other gender) If so, Are you sexually attracted to other men? Would you be able to enjoy sex with a man? Do you get sexual urges with a man? Do men turn you on sexually and emotionally?

3:02PM PST on Dec 26, 2011

My last comments stated..."you have have just read the last post from me". That was a direct response to "Jerry " and it holds true for I will not post comments in response to him.But I still will continue to post comments here regarding this topic when applicable.
From the time of the garden of Eden,when God told Satan.." Ï will put emnity between you and the woman,between your seed and her seed " ,we see the results of that.We have the offspring from both God and Satan ever since.We now see the verse in Jude 1:7.. "even as Sodom and Gomorah and the cities about them in like manner,giving themselves over to fornification,and going after strange flesh,( all forms of sexual sin )are set forth for an example,sufferig the vengeance of eternal fire " The sin of sexual perversion and particularly homosexuality is made very clear in the the form of eternal punishment.The seed of Satan was sown in the garden so now we have the situation where many people cannot understand what God has decreed.The church,who are the followers of Christ,cannot allow such perversion to impregnate it because God will not allow it.So,even if one group does oblige what gays want,it will still never be a marriage for marriage is a God created institution.It would be as described by Christs parable of the tares being sown amoungst the wheat..ie...the bad sown amoungst the good .