Broadcast June 18 2008
In London, last month, a couple stood in church exchanging vows of love. Officiating at the service was an Anglican clergyman. Perhaps nothing much of note here – except that all three of the people involved were church ministers and all three were male. This was the blessing of a civil partnership. And as the details slowly leaked out, the story made the headlines at the beginning of this week.
These days society is much more gay friendly – yet there are still many who regard homosexuals as deviant. Just think of Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson who said last week that homosexuals need to seek a “cure”.
The Christian Church is completely divided on the issue as well, and Christians on either side of the debate can claim Biblical support, so resolving this issue is not easy.
What worries me, though, is the manner in which the debate is taking place. The argument against civil partnerships is often advanced in a very uncivil way. There are bishops who refuse to sit in the same room as those who take a contrary view, and indeed Gene Robinson (the openly gay bishop of New Hampshire) will not be invited to attend the Lambeth conference next month, because others will boycott proceedings if he goes.
No matter the issue, a mark of morality (and maturity), is not just taking the “correct” view – it’s also to do with how we treat and respect those who disagree with us. It is perfectly possible to hold strongly to our beliefs without denying the rights of others to theirs.
It also seems to me, as a Christian, that the church devoting such energy into this issue marks a failure to get our priorities right. Here is a subject on which Jesus had nothing to say. It’s the causes that Jesus championed that Christians should be known for – showing love and compassion - addressing poverty, greed, hunger, debt, social exclusion, peacemaking and caring for our planet.
There is where the church is called to put its energy and time and emphases – because there is where Jesus put his.