Following the legalization of gay marriage in Australia, The Anglican Church has stepped up its discrimination against gays to new levels.
Not satisfied with the discrimination incorporated into the law – as per the minister of religion’s decision to deny accepting gay couples as part of their wedding ceremony, The conservatives of The Anglican Church are making sure that the church is an absolute no-go area for gay couples.
For starters, Anglican clergy are not legally permitted to marry identical married couples, should they choose to match them. Many churches would prefer to.
The state licenses ministers to conduct marriage ceremonies strictly in accordance with their church’s approved marriage rites. Conservatives are quick to stress that the Anglican Church’s wedding ceremonies are specifically designed for couples who marry males; therefore, they can’t be legally used for similar-sex weddings.
Read more: If Australia says ‘yes,’ churches are still free to say ‘no’ to marrying same-sex couples.
Now, the Anglican bishops have added a raft of new restrictions as well.
In an agreement, they have proclaimed that it’s not “appropriate” for same-sex weddings to be held within Anglican property. This is not limited to Anglican churches. They can’t be held in church halls, in the church chapels at Anglican institutions, and even in other Anglican organizations, like welfare agencies and such.
Bishops also are worried about Anglican priests who want to bless a union of the same gender. Bishops are now deciding that they must regulate private prayers for gay couples and gay people. They will be looking at what the “appropriate content for an informal prayer for same-sex couples, which occurs outside a public liturgical setting is.”
There’s more. They will also look at “what issues arise for officials of the Anglican Church who are merely present at a same-sex marriage or blessing of a same-sex union.”
Anglican “officials” is a broad word. It is likely to cover everyone from clergy and bishops to diocesan synod members to parish council members. This means that thousands of regular Anglican lay people, should the conservatives be allowed to continue to have their way, are told that they shouldn’t attend gay weddings regardless of the location.
