The Evangelical Alliance is
appealing to the Government to safeguard the rights of churches that
refuse to carry out civil partnership ceremonies.
The Government is considering lifting the current ban on same-sex
civil partnership ceremonies being conducted in places of worship and
religious settings.
Despite assurances from Home Secretary Theresa May that “no religious
group will be forced to host a civil partnership registration”, many
Christians are concerned that vicars will find themselves brought before
the courts if they refuse.
Although a small number of religious groups, including the Quakers,
have expressed their support for the proposals, the Evangelical Alliance
said it was concern for the tens of thousands of churches that deem
practising homosexual relationships to be incompatible with their
beliefs and practices.
Don Horrocks, Head of Public Affairs at the Evangelical Alliance,
said: “History shows that when new rights are given today, they can
often lead to laws being imposed tomorrow. If the Government wishes to advance equality for LGBT people, who
represent less than 1.45 per cent of the population, they must show they
are at least as committed to the religious liberties of the vast
majority of people who want to be assured that a minority right can
never become an obligation. It would have been helpful if the Government statement had referred
to the equally important views and concerns of the religious sector
rather than appearing to privilege one set of rights against another.”
The Evangelical Alliance is the latest group to voice its concerns
after Affinity, The Christian Institute, Christian Concern, Reform and
the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches came together to
decry the Government’s plans.
In a joint statement, they pointed to the closure of faith-based
adoption agencies and a recent court ruling requiring Christian
guesthouse owners to pay compensation to a same-sex couple they refused
to accommodate in a double bedroom.
“When it comes to equality legislation, permission often turns rapidly into coercion,” the groups said.