The unprecedented scale of last summers' riots in English cities, with some young people involved expressing their happiness with the excitement of it all, has been conveniently forgotten, as also it seems has the much more comprehensive 2007 UNICEF survey of child wellbeing in the 21 most economically developed nations which found that the UK was the worst country for a child to grow up in, with reported feelings being only one of six measures used.

The UK currently has the highest number of teenage pregnancies and single mothers of any of the major European nations and there is now a wealth of hard evidence that the most important factor in child wellbeing is living with their own married parents. Yet despite a reference in his foreword to the Children's Society report of the 'moral test' it represents, Dr Sentamu makes no mention there of marriage. In fact one of the key findings claimed by the report is that 'The quality of children's relationships with their families is far more important than the structure of the family that they live in.'

So it was not surprising that early in the interview, the Archbishop was asked:

'When you talk about stable family relationships and a loving atmosphere in which a child grows up, do you mean any stable relationship?'

and he replied rather haltingly

'Well I think, I think, I think, we have got to say that'

and went on to say that while he would not 'knock' marriage, seeing it as 'a bedrock' neither would he 'stigmatise' or 'diminish' same sex, single parent or cohabiting households.

Despite his less than ringing endorsement of marriage, it would be possible up to this point to be charitable and say that the argument followed the example of Jesus with the adulterous women (John 8:1-12) who is not condemned, but is also urged to 'sin no more'.

But when pressed further, the inconsistency becomes clear. He was then asked

'So you think marriage is the bedrock, but you don't exclude the possibility, or the fact, that a lot of other types of home provide stability and love?'

and replied

'If I didn't believe that I would be actually diminishing a lot of people, because I don't believe that is part of my Christian understanding. What is really critical here is the child in the home that we should focus on, not the kind of structure we think should be the case'

He then reinforced the point by observing that there could be much unhappiness for children in married families.

Here there is a collision with the evidence. No one would disagree that there can be stability and love in non-married families, but the question of what structure is most likely to lead to these qualities is ignored. Instead we are left with what amounts to a situation ethic in which the moral framework is marginalised in favour of the individualism of personal intention.

Moreover the use of the sociological word 'structure' actually screens out the theological understanding of marriage. Biblically, it is not one option among others, not even the best option. It is, as Dr Sentamu acknowledges at one point in the interview, a good gift of creation, and if that is so, surely its rejection in favour of innovations of our own devising is also a rejection of the Creator himself, something which Archbishops in some other parts of the Anglican Communion persist in calling sin - not to condemn, but because they know the transforming power of repentance and the gospel of grace.

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The Rev. Charles Raven is Rector of Christ Church in Worcester, England