Church of England takes a stand for traditional marriage

Palace of Westminster in London

The “Church of England” came out with a paper in favor of marriage:

The Church of England has set out to explain why it believes in a traditional understanding of marriage in a new report out this week.

“Men and Women in Marriage” takes as its basic premise the view that marriage is a “gift of God in creation and means of His grace”, providing the best context for the raising of children.

The report defines marriage as a “faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman, central to the stability and health of human society”.

It also clarifies that the intention is not to repeat its arguments against Government plans to legalise same-sex marriage.

“The disagreements [over same-sex marriage] now need to be set against a more positive background of how Christians have understood and valued marriage,” the report explains.

The report does, however, make clear that there are not two kinds of marriage, one religious and one civil, as has been suggested in the gay marriage debate.

“There have simply been two kinds of marriage ceremony,” the report states.

A concluding note also suggests that the legalisation of same-sex marriage will have a negative impact on the institution of marriage more generally.

“The reality of marriage between one man and one woman will not disappear as the result of any legislative change, for God has given this gift, and it will remain part of our created human endowment.

“But the disciplines of living in it may become more difficult to acquire, and the path to fulfilment, in marriage and in other relationships, more difficult to find.” http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.of.england.affirms.traditional.understanding.of.marriage/32103.htm

On the surface it seems that the Church of England is determined to stand pat on the classic biblical understanding of marriage and not be hoodwinked by the sex-crazed culture. A 24-page document, issued this week by the Faith and Order Commission and published with the agreement of the House of Bishops, states “marriage is a creation ordinance, a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace. Marriage, defined as a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman, is central to the stability and health of human society. It continues to provide the best context for the raising of children.”

Document GS Misc 1046 with a forward by “Justin Cantuar” (Justin Welby) and “Sentamu Ebor” (John Sentamu) – the archbishops of Canterbury and York – liberally use the English Standard Version, the Anglicized New Revised Standard Version, and the New International Version of the Scriptures to make the Church’s case for marriage in five succinct arguments: Belief in God the Creator; Marriage & Society; Parenthood & Partnership; Freedom & Growth; and State & Church in Relation to Marriage.

First turning to the creation story in Genesis the CofE document points out that God created males and females. Christ reminded the Pharisees of that fact in Matthew when He said: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh,” quoting the Genesis account of the creation of Eve to be Adam’s helpmeet. This is the crux of Christian marriage that the Church of England is tentatively defending against the cultural onslaught in British society.

“Marriage is a gift of God in creation,” the document declares citing the CofE’s Common Worship Marriage Service. Meaning that marriage is more than a cultural development or simply a political or economic institution, that “it is an expression of the human nature which God has willed for us and which we share.” http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=17422#.UWdxvzf_FrQ

The Church of England has ruled out providing public blessings to same-sex marriages in a new report.

The move follows the outgoing Bishop of Liverpool Right Reverend James Jones’s questioning of whether the Church should maintain its stance.

The Bishop of Coventry Dr Christopher Cocksworth, one report author, said “public forms of blessing belong to marriage alone”. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22094595

I meant to report about this earlier, and am glad I finally have had to chance to get to this. The basic point of the Church of England that marriage is between one man and one woman is correct. It is nice when various ones attempt to take a stand against the moral decline of their nations.

The reality is that people who approve of homosexual marriage miss the whole point about marriage, ignore the lessons of history, and overlook the facts of biology, not to mention the admonitions in the Bible.

Homosexual marriage, itself, is currently unlawful in the United Kingdom itself, but bills in the British and Scottish parliaments are currently aiming to make such “marriages” legal–despite what the Church of England says.

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