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The Bible is why Her Majesty must Veto Same-Sex Marriage
By Julian Mann
Special to Virtueonline
www.virtueonline.org
December 20, 2011
If the Church of England is to stand up for the Bible, as UK Prime Minister David Cameron exhorted it to do in his hugely significant speech at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, then its Supreme Governor must refuse to give a same-sex marriage bill the Royal Assent.
The Prime Minister said on Friday that it is 'legitimate for political leaders to say something about religious institutions as they see them affecting our society, not least in the vital areas of equality and tolerance'.
Therein lies the spiritual and moral conflict between the two rival ideologies competing for the soul of Britain. The Church's vocation is to stand up for the righteousness and truth of the Lord Jesus against politically-correct ideology claiming to be the mediator of equality and tolerance to humankind.
That is not to say that equality and tolerance, Christianly understood, are not positive values for societies. But the current problem in the West is that they are not being Christianly understood.
Though same-sex marriage conforms to the politically-correct ideals of equality and tolerance - more accurately, it is a necessary practical expression of those values - it is not righteous. It does not conform to the truth of God, as expressed in the Holy Bible.
Mr Cameron concluded his speech in support of the Bible's influence on British values with this exhortation to the Church of England: "I believe the Church of England has a unique opportunity to help shape the future of our communities.
But to do so it must keep on the agenda that speaks to the whole country.
The future of our country is at a pivotal moment.
The values we draw from the Bible go to the heart of what it means to belong in this country and you, as the Church of England, can help ensure that it stays that way."
Mr Cameron is absolutely right thus to exhort the Church of the nation to stand up for biblical values. And one of the ways the Church should be doing that is to stand up for the God-created institution of heterosexual marriage as the only legitimate context in which sexual love is to be expressed.
Jesus Christ was unequivocal that marriage is between a man and a woman and that celibacy is the right course for those not called to heterosexual marriage (see Matthew 19v1-12).
That is why the Church of England must oppose in Christ's Name coalition plans to introduce same-sex marriage.
Every communicant member of the Church of England has a Christian duty to oppose this abomination, including the Supreme Governor, Her Majesty the Queen. If she is to fulfill her Coronation Oath to defend the biblical faith of the nation and to protect her people, she has the duty before God to refuse to give a same-sex marriage bill the Royal Assent.
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Julian Mann is vicar of the Parish Church of the Ascension, Oughtibridge, South Yorkshire - www.oughtibridgechurch.org.uk
