A response by Forward in Faith UK
to the recent statement by the House of Bishops
on Civil Partnerships

Forward in Faith naturally welcomes any statement supporting a traditional Christian understanding of marriage, but we would have wished for more robust words from the Bishops. The problems occur not because of the sexual orientation of individuals but because of the inherent (and deliberate) dishonesty of the Civil Partnerships Act. This is a faulty piece of legislation, not because it extends rights in law, but because it does so in a manner designed to undermine the institution of marriage. Bishops as members of the House of Lords, where this Act originated, had a duty to condemn the manner in which it does this.

The Act says absolutely nothing explicitly about sexual activity in a Civil Partnership; instead it creates a climate implicitly by the complexity of its provisions. It is this fundamental dishonesty that should be roundly condemned. The long discussion in the Bishops’ statement about sexual activity and previous Church of England declarations on the matter diverts attention towards the private life of individuals and thus colludes with the government’s subterfuge.

It would be foolish as well as peevish, and probably illegal, to prevent individuals (clergy included) taking advantage of the provisions of the law, for the sake of pensions, inheritance tax, and so on.

It would, nevertheless, be a serious error in any way to condone, or seem to condone a form of ‘gay marriage’, even a sexless gay marriage. The Bishops seem to be aware of the subtlety of this position and how it would be perceived in the wider world. We would remind them that there is considerably more teaching to be done than is contained in the documents they cite, and still more needed in relation to future legislation.

It must be clear that in giving an unequivocal rejection of anything that looks like a fake marriage, the Church must also give an unequivocal rejection of anything that looks like a fake wedding. There can be no same-sex blessing liturgies in church.

We are pleased that the Bishop of Winchester has agreed to consider the wider implications of the current legislation in the pages of New Directions. We would urge you to read the issue to be published on 5 August 2005.