kernow

I love the words, "Practicing Homosexual"! It conjures up the thought of homosexuals practicing until they get it perfect! Ha! Ha! Ha!

rjt

Well hetrosexual males are often told by their wives/girlfriends to keep practicing until they get it perfect are they not!

__________________
'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying " Glory to God in the highest, And on the earth peace, goodwill toward men".
Luke 2: 13-14.

Chip

They can not do anything else apart from practice until they do the real thing.

Mikeuk

Oh is that the reason they do what they do?

Well I suppose you can't get pregnant that way

NickIrons

If they refuse to employ somebody because they are gay, then
they are discriminating aren't they?
The Church broke the U.K. employment law, simple....
Whether you support/denounce homosexuality does not
come in to it, part time bible reader or Archbishop, makes
no difference, the law was broken.....

rjt

The point is the law is unworkable for the church, we cannot have homosexuals in positions of responsiblity people serving in the church. How can any priest be expected to preach from scripture when the law says he has to openly flout it.

If the law stated priests had to perform gay marraiges would you support it?

__________________
'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying " Glory to God in the highest, And on the earth peace, goodwill toward men".
Luke 2: 13-14.

NickIrons

As an atheist, I have no religious beliefs, so I do not recognise values
from the Church, though I respect those that do hold these beliefs.
My point is, the Church broke the law, that's all, I was looking at it
from a legal point of view, and as such I cannot make judgements
on your beleifs, as a non beleiver I am also not a hippocrite. Though I
do respect your faith, I can only respect the rule of law, and in this
case it was broken.

rjt

So i repeat if the law stated that priests had to perform gay marriages, even though such a thing is incompatiable with scripture would you support the prosectution of a priest for not doing so.

__________________
'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying " Glory to God in the highest, And on the earth peace, goodwill toward men".
Luke 2: 13-14.

NickIrons

I only commented on the case in question, from a point of law.
Is the example you make likley to happen? If so, and a priest
breaks the law, then he should be prosecuted, as regardless of
our faiths, we all have to uphold the rule of law, would you
support female circumcision practised by certain African religions?
No, of course you wouldn't, as it is against the law, if the Church
wish to discriminate against homosexuals on the grounds of their
sexuality according to the scriptures then fine, I have no problem
with that, but at the moment it is against the law. If you don't
agree with a law, use your democratic right to change it.
We live and abide by law, not religion.

rjt

I appreciate your honesty in this matter Nick, I think the are going to be occasions in the years to come where churches will have to defy the law as the law itself is simply unworkable. I think we need to frame our laws to tackle crime not to force the church into becoming another wing of new labour.

I have no way of changing the law democratically by the way, the elctoral system is so baised in favour of the Lab/Lib Dem/Tory coalition that we are effectively becoming a one party state, and that one party state is Europhile to the core and seeks to extingush peoples right to freedom of religous worship.


The Church is unlike any other place of work in this country, if in your job for example there is a rule that forbids relationships with female colleagues, I have worked for companys that have that rule, then you would I hope obey that, The Churches rule is that homosexuality is a sin and that those working in the church who have sexual inclinations toward the same sex should adopt celibacy and not act on those inclinations in a physical way.

Are you really saying the current law is workable, a priest stands up and says homosexuality is sinfull, oh by the way i employed 3 gay people this week. It is simply not on.

__________________
'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying " Glory to God in the highest, And on the earth peace, goodwill toward men".
Luke 2: 13-14.