For most, gay equality trumps religious objections

From The Trib-

In the wake of two favorable Supreme Court decisions, gay rights proponents got another boost last month with the release of “State of the First Amendment: 2013,” a public opinion survey supported by the First Amendment Center.

According to the new poll, a majority of Americans (62 percent) now agree that religiously affiliated groups receiving government funds can be required to provide health benefits to same-sex couples, even if the group has religious objections to same-sex marriage or partnerships.

Support for equal treatment of gay couples is highest among young people ages 18-30 (68 percent) and among Americans who identify as liberal (82 percent).

But a surprising number of evangelicals (41 percent) and conservatives (44 percent) also favor requiring religiously affiliated groups receiving tax dollars to provide health benefits to same-sex partners.

When government funds aren't involved, public support for equal treatment of gay couples drops to a slim majority.


Read more:

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/4440354-74/religious-percent-sex#ixzz2ad1nrDuX

Biography cites Welby's past views on gays

From UPI-

Justin Welby, the new head of the Church of England, supported a ban on adoption by gay couples when he was a parish priest, a new biography says.

The biography by the Rev. Andrew Atherstone of Oxford University quotes letters Welby sent to his parish at Southam, Warwickshire, during the 1990s, The Daily Telegraph reported. The newspaper is to publish selections from the book, "Archbishop Justin Welby: The Road to Canterbury," starting Saturday.

Welby replaced Rowan Williams last month as Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. He is to be enthroned March 21.

He has an unusual background, having worked as an oil company executive before deciding when he was over 30 years old he had a call to the Anglican priesthood. He became bishop of Durham in 2011.

Welby is from the church's evangelical wing, which generally takes a harder stance on homosexuality. But he has recently warned against homophobia and said he supports civil unions for same-sex couples.

Read more:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/03/08/Biography-cites-Welbys-past-views-on-gays/UPI-83081362770065/#ixzz2N2xphQB6

The interesting politics of marriage

From Christian Today-

The question as to whether homosexual couples should be allowed to engage in ‘civil marriage’ has caused consternation in the church.

Some faith groups have not only happily welcomed the proposals by the coalition government, but are actively lobbying for it. Quakers, liberal Jews and Unitarians have had meetings with civil servants to discuss the issue.

Last week, the Archbishop of York voiced his disapproval, suggesting a rather unnecessary parallel between dictators and David Cameron.

His argument quoted in the press was primarily that we should not want to redefine very clear social structures that have been in existence for a long time and that "it is not the role of the state to define what marriage is".

The first part of the argument is one based on the authority of history and the need to conserve existing institutions and forms of relationship. But we already have civil partnerships, and while the church upholds that this is not marriage, the social structures that Sentamu is talking about have already been redefined. Given that he doesn’t oppose civil partnerships among his own clergy, this part of his argument is hypocritical.

More here-

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/the.interesting.politics.of.marriage/29264.htm