Fox News reported on the Church of England Bishops that are asking the church to conduct same-sex marriages. One of them is Right Rev. Dr. Steven Croft, the bishop of Oxford, who was the first senior bishop to affirm the union.
The reverend said even though he used to have an unusually orthodox view of sex, he 'slowly but surely experienced a change of heart and mind.' He added that it is unjust for the church to refuse the union as he called the church's position as a historical position that just engendered unfairness, anger, and alienation for a generation.
A Call for Same-Sex Marriage by Bishops of the Church of England
According to the article, Bishop Croft is also asking for the church to change the ecclesiastical law. He added that it should allow the clergy to marry same-sex partners. The bishop also wrote a 52-page essay on the subject titled, 'Together in Love and Faith.'
Together, the bishops are calling for the church to allow the Church of England to bless same-sex unions and for other bishops to talk about and support the cause. This goes in line with the plans of the bishops to present recommendations to the General Synod to revise its definition of marriage based on the Bible.
Jayne Ozanne, an advocate for gay rights commended the senior bishop for his newfound beliefs. She said that the bishop should be applauded and that the actions would encourage others to think about their views.
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Call Against Same-Sex Union Within The Church
However, the call for the dogma of the church to change has also been met with a pullback by other people and institutions. One of these is Andrea Williams of Christian Concern who called the bishops in question as 'revisionist bishops.' Williams also said that the actions of Bishop Croft and the other bishops are discriminatory against their Christian beliefs when it comes to sexuality and gender.
Additionally, Williams said that it would be a threat and "a rupture in the Anglican communion" worldwide. Williams also said that the official position of the church is clearly from the Bible and that it is the recognized settled pattern of God for sexuality. Further, Williams called the actions and views of the bishops as heresy and apostasy.
"Such a radical change to the nature of repentance, to the doctrine of marriage, alters the gospel itself," said Williams.
Church of England
According to Brittanica, the Church of England is the 'English national church and the mother church of the Anglican Communion.' The article said that the faith has been in England since the 2nd century with a resurgence in 597 with the mission of St. Augustine of Canterbury.
On the Church of England page, it says that it is a religious institution led by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. It is also governed by The General Synod that creates the laws of the Church.
The Archbishop of Canterbury exercises oversight over the church's ministry and mission as the spiritual leader.
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