Sex is for male-female marriage only, Church of England confirms
by David Baker, Christian Today:
Sex only belongs in heterosexual marriage, a new statement from the Church of England’s House of Bishops has declared.
In a document responding to the introduction of mixed-sex civil partnerships, the Bishops say: “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.
But they also add: “In its approach to civil partnerships the Church seeks to uphold that standard, to affirm the value of committed, sexually abstinent friendships and to minister sensitively and pastorally to those Christians who conscientiously decide to order their lives differently.”
The statement affirms: “Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purposes for human beings. The introduction of same sex marriage… has not changed the church’s teaching on marriage or same sex relationships.”
The new declaration acknowledges that a working group called ‘Living in Love and Faith’ is looking at contemporary issues of sex and morality with a view to informing the church’s discussions, but reiterates: “In the context… of the introduction of opposite-sex as well as same-sex civil partnerships, the teaching of the church on marriage remains unchanged.”
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