The Times reports that a group of MPs is working on proposals to change the law to remove any legal barriers that could prevent the Church of England from pressing ahead in backing same-sex marriage. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/penny-mordaunt-church-of-england-gay-marriage-rmcv3l76g
David Cameron granted a legally binding ‘opt out’ from the ‘ same-sex’ marriage legislation in 2013.
Bishops are holding a meeting this week to decide whether the church should drop its opposition to same-sex marriage and start to marry or bless gay couples. It would then be up to the General Synod, the church’s parliament, to vote on any change to church law.
Penny Mordaunt, the Conservative MP for Portsmouth North, wrote in an open letter to the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Right Rev Jonathan Frost: “I hope you will back reform, allowing parishes to conduct weddings for same-sex couples or, at a minimum, enable authorised blessings.” She said that her gay constituents should have the right to marry in their parish church.
Apart from anything else this contravenes the principle of freedom of religion.. Perhaps Ms Mordaunt has forgotten that our parents and grandparents fought a long war 80 years ago against a state that sought to enforce a political agenda on the church that was contrary to the church’s own scriptures and teaching. One member of that church who refused to kow-tow was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, now revered as a Christian martyr. And the people of Ukraine are engaged in a similar struggle against a state that is corralling its church to endorse its own agenda. Will these MPs also enforce this agenda on Jews, Muslims and Hindus who also oppose same-sex marriage?
Penny Mordaunt and these MPs are following in the footsteps of earlier and current European dictators.