Millionaire Gay Couple To Fight Marriage Ruling

[naomi24]

A gay couple from Essex are considering mounting a legal challenge over the rights of same sex couples to marry in the Church of England.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-20758816

What are their chances of success?

[tonyav]

Very slim imo.

[sandyRoe]

As committed Christians they must surely feel aggrieved that they are suffering discrimination. Maybe the ECHR will eventually find in their favour.

[magsmay]

churches invented marriage as a Contract so I suppose they can do what they want-if they say 'marriage' is only between same sex couples for the purpose of procreation then i guess that's what it is. Whats wrong with Gay couples getting a church blessing? that allowed is'nt it? If marriage in the Churches eyes is all to do with procreation then obviously Gay couples cannot be married in a church - the church would have to redefine the meaning of marriage and they are not going to do that.

[Booldawg]

ironically thats how the CoE was formed; by someone who didnt agree with the marriage arrangements of the current church.

[jno]

kind of tricky challenging a law that doesn't exist; but they might embarrass Miller into a U-turn (the government has performed them before). The more so since the churches have suggested they don't want to be banned from holding such marriages and weren't consulted about the government plans.

[Ellipsis]

I think they have some chance of success while the C of E remains the established church. Ultimately, though, I think they're more likely to get disestablishment than equality.

[FredPuli43]

Thought that some government minister,maybe the PM, had 'explained' this by saying that individual churches could marry gay couples but were not to be forced to. That would be like divorced people getting married in the C of E. It's left to the discretion of individual vicars.

[Bazile]

What would the point of getting ' married ' , where the officiating minister / demonination does not want to carry it out and is only doing so because they are so forced ?

Instead in this situation you would be ware that the priest is only going through the motions and would frankly rather be somewhere else

[bert_h]

They are idiots. If Parliament passes a law, how can anybody claim that what they have passed is against the law? And because the Church of England is the 'established' church, that means that Parliament can indeed pass a law defining what the C of E must do, or must not do, or may choose to do.

[Bluestone]

Good luck to them!

Why shouldn't they fight this. It is nothing short of discrimination.
I totally agree with Tony, it should be one rule for all. They wouldn't be able to discriminate against him if he was a black man, so why can they do so because he's a gay man? Ridiculous!

[magsmay]

I think Bluestone its because, in the eyes of the church, marriage as an Institution is seen as a platform for the procreation of the Human Race in the sanctity of marriage. Being a black couple would not preclude this , but being Gay would.

[naomi24]

//in the eyes of the church, marriage as an Institution is seen as a platform for the procreation of the Human Race in the sanctity of marriage. //

The bible specifically forbids sex between people of the same gender.

[Bluestone]

But what about equality?

All they are asking for is equal rights.

[Snafu03]

whats their problem? gay marriage will be legal in 2015, just not in the CoE. just another case of 'have your cake and eat it'

[naomi24]

//All they are asking for is equal rights. //

Civil law can provide that, but if the church is to abide by God's law, it can't. It's a dilemma.

[Bluestone]

It's out of date and ridiculous! That's what it is.

[sir.prize]

They seem like a nice couple. Mwahhhh

[Bazile]

//It's out of date and ridiculous! That's what it is. //

It's a fundamental tenet of the bible / christain belief that marriage is an Institution for the procreation of the Human Race .

You dont just change your beleif , just because others dont agree .

[jake-the-peg]

I think people have been getting "married" much longer than the Bible has been around!

This bill confuses me

It seems that a (in my view very sensible) approach has been taken to say that if a church agrees and the local vicar is OK with it too than same sex marriages can be held on church property.

They've then turned around and proposed making this illegal in the CofE even if everybody agrees!

It's legislating intolerence into the heart of the Church of England.

And on that basis I suspect they'll have a really good chance of winning - or at least winning the chance for the Genereal synod to have the right to decide

[jomifl]

Heterosexual couples can't have a civil partnership they can only get married. Homosexual couples can only have a civil partnership not a marriage. What is their problem? Marriage is by custom a union between a man and a woman, end of...