Ben Bradshaw MP warns Church of England its established status is at threat over civil partnerships stance

Feb 7, 2020 by

from Christian Today:

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw today told the House of Commons that “serious questions” will be asked about the Church of England’s established status if it stands by its position on opposite-sex civil partnerships. 

A statement by the College of Bishops last month said that sex was for married heterosexual couples only.

“For Christians, marriage – that is the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows – remains the proper context for sexual activity,” the document said, adding that “sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purposes for human beings”.

While many evangelicals welcomed the statement, it was met with a strong backlash by liberals in the Church of England.  Some argued that it undermined the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith review process examining issues of sexuality, the findings of which are due to be published later this year.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York quickly issued an apology for the “hurt and division” caused, saying that the document had “jeopardised trust”, but they stopped short of withdrawing it.

In the Commons on Thursday, Mr Bradshaw grilled Andrew Selous, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, on the guidance.

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See also: MP demands that Church changes doctrine on marriage or disestablishfrom BBC Politics

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