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Loading ...Norway Bishops Nix Gay Weddings
10.10.2008 2:00pm EDT
(Oslo) Same-sex marriage will become legal in Norway in January, but the Church of Norway has voted not to allow its pastors to perform church weddings.
The decision followed what is reported to have been a heated debate in the Council of Bishops. The church leaders did, however, decided to allow a prayer for gay and lesbian couples who have civil marriages, as long as the prayer is not in the form of a blessing service."Only if and when the liturgy of the Church has been changed, will priests be able to marry lesbian and homosexual couples in the Church of Norway," a statement from the government said following the vote.
Parliament voted in June to make Norway’s marriage law "gender neutral." The law goes into effect January 1.
The legislation replaces a 1993 law that gives gays the right to enter civil unions similar to marriage.
Opponents, including the Christian Democrats and the Party of Progress, argued that children need both a mother and a father in a traditional family, opposed assisted pregnancy for lesbians, and said the law was rushed through the legislature.
In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to offer full marriage rights to gay couples. Since then, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa and three American states – Connecticut, Massachusetts and California have allowed same-sex marriage.
OH, who really gives a rats behind what some cult does in this regard. Is it legal with the government? Yes? Good – that’s all that really matters. Does the couple feel good in the eyes of whatever God they worship? If they do, the churches blessing is irrevelant, essentially pomp and circumstance. If they don’t feel good, they probably shouldn’t be getting hitched anyway.
There should be a unified gay community response of “So?” to this to show these religious nut-jobs just how UN-important their input, response or involvement one way or the other is.
LEGAL marriage REQUIRES a LEGAL recognition. NO government in the first world REQUIRES religious involvement to recognize a LEGAL marriage.
So, this church won’t perform marriage ceremonies. Big fucking whoop.
And ANY homosexual couple who feels they must oppose this religious organizations choice in this matter should seek psychological counseling as they are being upset by a group of people who base their lives and actions on the direction of an invisible friend.
Our collective response of “So what?” would send a very clear message to other theocratic governments–among them, the United States of America–that the religious’ “opinions” are just that and completely irrelevant.
Bravo Chris and Sarrellec!
I could care less what the church says. I certainly don’t intend to get married in a church. Who in their right mind would want to belong to a club that wouldn’t have them as a member???
Grouch and Woody aside…
Im glad their not doing weddings. the less money they collect the better. I hope they slowly run out of money and are force into doing gay wedding, then they will look like idiots in the end.
The church in Norway was split almost 50/50 when it came to deciding if gays should be allowed to marry in church, and it was decided that it was up to the individual bishop to decide if priests in their area can perform ceremonies. But they all agree this cannot happen until the official liturgy has been changed, and most believe this will happen in the near future, so it’s not the church saying no to gay weddings, they’re just stating that they need time to change ancient rituals, and that that wont happen overnight.
the article was only half truth the Lutheran church in Norway does recognise a gay union but the old stick in the mud roman catholic church there does not Norske .
“Who in their right mind would want to belong to a club that wouldn’t have them as a member???”
I hear this line an awful lot from the queer wing of evangelical atheism. It’s starting to get a bit old. But for the record: the Church of Christ is not a “club”; it is not the Boy Scouts; it is a living body. One does not choose to be a member; one is chosen by grace.
It is simply absurd to claim that sexuality is innate but religion is a ‘choice’. It is also untrue. I cannot for the life of me understand why LGBT people of any faith or none cannot stand in solidarity with queer Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. Religion does matter, and it’s not going away. The queer community as a whole will ignore it at its peril.
rjb, as a Christian I have to disagree with you. Religious faith is a choice. One that is a follower chooses to follow or not. They choose to believe in Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim tenants. People that are of any given faith determine what extent that they do or do not follow and practice their given faiths.
A gay person does not choose to be gay. No matter how much I were to call myself a heterosexual, it would not make it so. If you place a child on an isolated island, they are going to grow up to be gay or straight. Without exposure to a faith, they are not going to grow up to be any faith at all. Tomorrow, I could go out and start practicing another faith if I so chose to do so.
Now I’m not beginning to defend Chris S’s and RamJet’s abhorrent and disgusting comments. They makes hateful comments towards people of faith in many of their posts. What I’m saying is that you cannot make the assumption that faith is something that is innate.
Well, at least they didn’t condemn gay marriage, and even offered a token ‘blessing’ opportunity.
But there is a bigger picture – it is centered on what sits in Rome, and the orthodox Jews (I’m a reform Jew, sort of), and some of the far right protestant sects, eg the people in America who supported slavery and segregation.
And what will happen is that some time in the future, the history of the world will be updated. And it will talk about the age of religion, and how so many people suffered due to the darkness of religious hatred, ignorance, and greed for power. The power that has been responsible for endless wars, all “in the name of God”, but really in the name of superstition, and ignorance.
And finally there will be change. The ministers and priests will preach to the dust in the pews, and stand in the unemployment lines looking for a dole.
And Mankind will be free.
And, btw we are only about 25 years from creating replicating cellular life, and personalities which are aware of themselves in computers . And life will be proven to be a natural event, given sufficient time and a proper environment.
And the bibles will be found in history museums.