From ACNS-From the Church of England
Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement on same sex marriage today, the Church of England issued the following statement.
It is important to be clear that insistence on the traditional understanding of marriage is not knee-jerk resistance to change but is based on a conviction that the consequences of change will not be beneficial for society as a whole. Our concern is for the way the meaning of marriage will change for everyone, gay or straight, if the proposals are enacted. Because we believe that the inherited understanding of marriage contributes a vast amount to the common good, our defence of that understanding is motivated by a concern for the good of all in society.
The proposition that same-sex relationships can embody crucial social virtues is not in dispute. To that extent, the Prime Minister’s claim that he supports same-sex marriage from conservative principles is readily understandable. However, the uniqueness of marriage is that it embodies the underlying, objective, distinctiveness of men and women. This distinctiveness and complementarity are seen most explicitly in the biological union of man and woman which potentially brings to the relationship the fruitfulness of procreation.
More here-
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/12/7/Church-of-England-responds-to-PMs-same-sex-marriage-statement
1 comment:
Thanks. It's strange that the Church of England statement includes an argument based on "fruitfulness of procreation". It's weak (the C of E allows marriages between people who cannot reproduce) and a slur on couples who choose not to have children. Marriage shouldn't be defined by reproductive ability.
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