Well done, Archbishop!
Dear friends,
I was heartened to read what the Archbishop of York said last weekend in response to government proposals to allow same-sex couples to marry. He said, “Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. I don’t think it is the role of the state to define what marriage is.”
It shows how far our society has shifted from its Christian foundations that we could even consider making such a change. And it’s not as if marriage is an exclusively Christian institution. It is part of the created order. It is striking how marriage is there in Genesis 2, as part of God’s creation; it is the basic building block of human society.
We have only got into such a situation because of the relentless pressing for gay rights, that very few are willing to resist. It is time that someone points out that ‘male’ and ‘female’ are not merely roles that we play as human beings. Male or female is who we are, and they are not interchangeable. So, I’m grateful that the Archbishop at least seems to recognise that.
He fully realises that taking such a stand may that the church goes out on a limb in our society. But, he says, “The Church has always stood out – Jesus actually was the odd man out. I’d rather stick with Jesus than be popular because it looks odd.”
Chris Hobbs,
Vicar.