General Chat

I know someone who made a decision to be a Christian age twelve and later 'came out' age eighteen. My point is this: people are often sure of their spirituality well in advance of their sexual maturity.

Christians will be familiar with the concept of a Christ-filled life being relieved from dark clouds & condemnation.
(This is a mix from the New International Version of the Bible & "The Message" - the Bible in contemporary language - from Paul's Letter to the Romans, chapter 8)

Who made up the "marriage rules" in the first place?

The church

I got married in a registry office - some people would say I'm not married.

Good point, Scozz.

I have lots of friends, gay, straight, young, old, yuppies, hippies, whatever. Who knows how we "choose" friends - someone's sexuality doesn't - shouldn't - matter.

Scozz......I married in a registry office too nearly 41 years ago. Maybe in some eyes I too am not really married but never mind. Our commitment obviously worked :-D

LyndaB .... Well done to your daughter. 16 years is longer than many male/female relationships last.

All those childless men and women must feel they they arent really married,,,,,,as they havnt upheld thier end of the conract with the church to *Prorecreate*!,as if this is the only reason they were able to be married in church that opening line needs removing.!

Seems to me that the only objections are based on religion. (the words of the marriage service)

Any more comment would be superflous.

:-D :-D

Hang on...... we don't have children. That wasn't our choice.

We've been married over 25 years.

Is that another reason for "church" to say we're not really married?

They need to stop poking into people's private lives.

No wonder people are turning away in droves.

Marriage is the union of two people, regardless of their gender.

There a gay couples who have children.

There are hetrosexual couples who don't have children.

There are hetrosexual couple who need the intervention of a third party to have children.

I do not see why the church, or anyone else for that matter, gets to decide who can or cannot get married. It's none of their business.

Hear Hear!!!!

**Round of applause**

May be that if these religions stopped interfering in peoples lives the world with its different religions and cultures then people would be more tolerant of each other


Roy

I have no views one way or the other regarding 'same sex' marriage, However, while the rights and feelings of the couple concerned must of course be adhered to, I think that it should be up to an individual parish or diosese as to whether they are prepared to marry a particular couple in church, in exactly the same way as divorcees or anyone else come to that.. I certainly don't think that the clergy should be forced to perform a ceremony if they feel strongly against it; respect for them and their rights must also be upheld, it can't just be one-sided. I actually don't think that God minds at all, as Jesus said, 'In my Father's house there are many mansions', which I would take to mean that God is pretty liberal minded!

Kay????

Your post jogged my memory on a slight tangent and I hope that everyone will forgive me for going off-topic. I had both our children by planned cesarean section. Not my choice but a necessity. When my two were still very little, I got told I wasn't actually a real mother because I had never given birth.

God liberal minded??????????????

He obviously hasn't been reading the catholic churches position of homosexuality!!!!!!!!!!!

'Homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved'
(wikipedia)

Christs vicar on earth, pope benny, is adamant that homosexuality is sinful and gay people are disordered. If that is a liberal approach I would hate to see the right wing of the god squad!

Actually, I don't see why churches should be allowed to perform marriage ceremonies, if they don't want to obey the law of the land. By all means go and get blessed there, but if they refuse to carry out marriages of gay people, take their licences away. Can't see any problem with that.

Got an email last week, an eejit with a tattoo. Can't remember the exact words, something like "The Bible says homosexuality is wrong"....... (I think it's in Leviticus)........the bible also says tattoos are wrong.

So, if you're gay, or married with no children, have a tattoo, you're going to hell in a basket.

See you there :-D

I said 'God' was liberal minded NOT the Catholic church - big difference!!

Oh boy Scozz.

If that's the criteria for going to hell in a basket, I'm stuffed. Heterosexual, married (26 years), two kids, no tattoos. Do you think they'll let me in anyway or shall I go get a tattoo as soon as possible?

Maybe the person in front of me will hold the door open and I can sneak in. :-D
xJ

I have to disagree big style. The pope is the direct line between god and earth. He is infallible. Are you saying the catholic church is wrong in it's teachings? If so, which is the correct version? Is your particular version better than the popes? After all, the pope is gods voice!

Or islam, the baptists and the rev Billy Joe Jim Bob's church of redemption in Alabama all be wrong as well?

Something of a minefield, is it not? They can't ALL be right! But - consider this. They might all be wrong!

Anyway. the consensus is that god hates gays and women. I think that is pretty safe ground. All the major religions seem to agree on that one.

Again, we will have to agree to disagree.

If two people love one another & wish to committ to each other for life, i see nothing wrong in that, however the Oxford dictionary gives the definition as the Legal union between a man and a woman. I wonder when they will change that & what reason they will give for doing so?