Biscuitman

What is needed is legal acceptance of a formal agreement between the two parties to establish the benefits and pension rights that the surviving partner in a hetro-sexual marriage has.

This is also needed to protect non-married hetro relationships.

The law is already moving along these lines, for example many company pension schemes now recognise the rights of a 'financially dependant' partner.

As regards to a marriage ceremony as such, there is no reason why a single sex couple should not have an 'event' to formalise their relationship in the community. If they want to call that a marriage then I don't have a problem with that.

However, to have that ceremony, in the case of homosexuals, 'blessed' by a priest of any denomination would have no meaning.

The Bible states clearly, (and dont bother responding about the Bible being a collection of myths or having no relevance to today - I have my opinion and on this I won't change my view on the arguement of an unbeliever), that sodomy is an abhorance to God :-

Leviticus 18:22
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination"

"1Corithians 6:9-10: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (Emphasis ours)"

Thus he will not bless a sodomy based union and if the couple intend to remain celebate then what's the point in the first place of getting married?

As such, no priest has God's authority to give a blessing - it would be his/her bessing alone. (please - don't anybody throw in the red herring about gay priests etc).

Many individual churches, (a church by the way is the assembly of the people not the building they gather in), have already decided that should they be compelled, under the Eu constitution, not to refuse the rights of marriage on the grounds of homosexuality that they will discontinue holding wedding services.

Somebody made mention above of loving our fellow men. can't disagree with that and I must admit that over the 55 years of my life I have had a couple of friendships that were so strong that they could only have been described as love.( "I was never confused" - Al Murray).

But not a sexual love.

I know single sex couples who have long established and loving relationships - I have no problem with that.

They are welcome to have a form of cermony that gives a legal enity to their relationship - I have no problem with that and would if invited attend such a ceremony.

As regards tolerance - homosexuals are in Gods eyes no more or less sinners than the rest of us. But it is not for us to judge - thats Gods job and gays like the rest of us have to answer to him one day. We are to forgive and as Jesus said, "love one another as I have loved you".

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IF THE EU WAS THE ANSWER, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A STUPID QUESTION!