Lords debate threatens decision to allow gay weddings in churches

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Source: Guardian

Peers opposed to the registration of civil partnerships in religious premises have secured a debate in the House of Lords that could see the provision scrapped altogether, after warnings that churches could face litigation for turning away gay couples.

This month the equalities minister, Lynne Featherstone, said the government was committed to removing the legal barrier to civil partnerships' registration on the religious premises "of those faith groups who choose to allow this to happen", adding it would be a "permissive measure" with "no obligation on faith groups to host civil partnerships". The change to the equality bill, known as the Alli amendment, was passed in March 2010.

But peers, led by Lady O'Cathain, will debate the change on 15 December – 10 days after it comes into effect – in an attempt to scupper it entirely amid continued fears that churches will be under pressure to opt in to the voluntary scheme. If successful it would prevent all religious premises from registering civil partnerships – including those happy to do so.

Mark Hill QC, an ecclesiastical lawyer, in a submission to the House of Lords merits of statutory instruments committee, criticised the Alli amendment, calling it "somewhat unsatisfactory". "It presents a profound difficulty for a significant number of faith groups who regard same-sex relations as inimical to their sincere beliefs, yet (probably more through oversight than design) it only partially satisfies the secularists (and those faith groups for who same-sex relationships are compatible with their beliefs), allowing a religious building to be used for what remains a wholly secular function."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/24/lords-debate-gay-weddings

[msongs]

1. House of Parasites on Society is more like it. nt

[provis99]

2. too bad Britain never went through a French style Revolution.

these useless, doltish "Peers" need to have their stupid necks shortened.

[Vidar]

3. The same holds true of the United States. Alexander Hamilton

reversed almost everything the revolution accomplished, paving the way for today's corrupt oligarchy.

[provis99]

4. bullshit. Hamilton was the only real liberal among the founding fathers.

The worst of them, like Jefferson and Madison, preferred a ruling aristocracy of landed "gentlemen", whereas Hamilton saw a vision of America ruled by a meritocracy.

Hamilton has been smeared by "historians" for the last 200 years because American history is largely written by white Southerners, who don't exactly have an unbiased view of reality.