Government, set on gay marriage, opens consultation

Reuters, by Michael Holden, LONDON, Thu Mar 15, 2012 

A wedding cake is decorated with a same sex couple in the window of

a cake shop in Oxford, February 23, 2012. (Credit: Reuters/Andrew Winning)

(Reuters) - The government launched a public consultation process on Thursday on its plan to let gay couples marry, giving Christians and others three months to air their strong objections while insisting it would not back down.

Clerics, including the Church of England headed by the Queen and the Roman Catholic hierarchy, say Prime Minister David Cameron is interfering in religion with a plan to extend the full legal status of marriage to homosexuals, who have since 2005 been able to contract unions known as civil partnerships.

Launching the consultation process, during which ministers will review suggestions from the public, Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said: "The essential question is not whether we are going to introduce same-sex civil marriage but how."

Interviewed in the Independent newspaper, she made clear the plan to introduce legislation before the next election in 2015 is unchanged: "There is no rolling back whatsoever," she said.

Although churches and other religions will not be obliged to modify their own marriage rules, about twice as many Britons now marry in secular, civil ceremonies than in religious rites.

The proposed changes would open civil marriage ceremonies to gay couples and also let those already in civil partnerships convert their status to that of married. And the new law would allow people stay married if one legally changed their gender.

Christian leaders say that flies in the face of the traditional view of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Some in Cameron's own Conservative party are also dismayed by his commitment to gay marriage, and opponents have also complained that the government is not listening to them.

Colin Hart, campaign director for Coalition for Marriage, said: "I always thought that a consultation was about listening to people and asking them their views, before making a decision.

"Not only are they redefining the meaning of marriage, they're redefining the meaning of consultation."

His lobby group said almost 210,000 people had signed an online petition against same-sex marriage, with signatories including religious leaders and about a dozen lawmakers from across the political spectrum.

Featherstone said: "I believe that if a couple love each other and want to commit to a life together, they should have the option of a civil marriage, whatever their gender."

RELIGIOUS ARGUMENTS

The Church of England, an "established" church which forms part of the structure of the state, said: "Arguments that suggest religious marriage is separate and different from civil marriage, and will not be affected by the proposed redefinition, misunderstand the legal nature of marriage in this country."

On Sunday, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in England, wrote a pastoral letter to be read at mass across the country warning about the proposed changes:

"There would be no recognition of the complementarity of male and female, or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education of children," he said.

A number of other countries have introduced marriage provisions for same-sex couples including Spain, Canada, Argentina and South Africa, the British government noted.

Although Britain is an increasingly secular society, with only a small minority regularly taking part in religious rites, the Conservative party has long been a supporter of traditional marriage, and has mooted giving tax breaks to married couples.

But Cameron himself, who became Britain's youngest premier in almost 200 years when he won power two years ago aged 43, has spoken out strongly in favour of the proposed reforms.

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

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About the Challenges of Being a Gay Man – Oct 23, 2010 (Saint Germain channelled by Alexandra Mahlimay and Dan Bennack)

“ ... You see, your Soul and Creator are not concerned with any perspective you have that contradicts the reality of your Divinity – whether this be your gender, your sexual preference, your nationality – or your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or anything else.The only identity that has any fundamental or lasting relevance to your Soul is your Divinity. Any other way you may label or identify yourself is transitory. It changes from one incarnation to the next. ..."

"The Akashic System" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, God, Benevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.)

(Religions – Zionism - March 1, 2012 - Matthew Channelled by Suzanne Ward)

9. It can be no other way—simply, this is the physics that governs life in this universe. As Earth continues apace into successively higher planes, nothing with low vibrations in any form—physical bodies, subversive plans, theft, dishonesty, unjust laws and imprisonment, bigotry, cruel customs and deeds—can survive.

10. Moving on, no, it will not be quite like religions being “totally discarded and replaced by universal laws in the Golden Age.” When the truths come forth that science and spirit are one and the same and that religious dogmas were originated by early leaders of church and state to control the masses, people whose consciousness has risen beyond the constraints of third density will adhere to the spiritual aspects of their respective religions and the devised, controlling aspects will fall by the wayside.

11. One of the truths to come forth is that Zionism, which by dark intent has been made synonymous with Judaism, actually is a bellicose political movement within the Illuminati, and its aim for more than six decades has been to create conflict and instability in the entire Middle East. Zionists, who have wielded powerful influence within and behind major governments and their military forces, do NOT represent the Jewish peoples in Israel or anywhere else. And, like all other Illuminati factions, they have been committed to that cabal’s goal of global domination.

12. Although Semites are of diverse national origins and religions, the Zionists have been successful in convincing many that “anti-Semitic” is exclusively prejudice against the Jewish peoples and opposition to Israel’s right to defend itself from its “enemies.” By means of that blatant distortion, they obtained not only world sympathy, but also massive defense funding from Israel’s allies, most especially the United States, all of which served to increase the Illuminati’s vast profits from their industrial-military machine.

13. In addition to controlling the masses through dogmatic teachings, religions have served the dark purpose of divisiveness to such an extent that it resulted in centuries of trauma and bloodshed. Witness the Crusades, wars between Catholics and Protestants, pogroms against Jews, executions of “blasphemous” individuals who refused to “recant.”  (Read More …)

"Matthew preparing us for the Golden Age." -  Jan 19, 2012 (Channelled by Suzy Ward)


"Perceptions of God" – June 6, 2010 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Quantum Teaching, The Fear of God, Near-death Experience, God Becomes Mythology, Worship, Mastery, Intelligent Design, Benevolent Creator, Global Unity.... etc.) (Text version)

“.. For centuries you haven't been able to think past that box of what God must be like. So you create a Human-like God with wars in heaven, angel strife, things that would explain the devil, fallen angels, pearly gates, lists of dos and don'ts, and many rules still based on cultures that are centuries old. You create golden streets and even sexual pleasures as rewards for men (of course) - all Human perspective, pasted upon God. I want to tell you that it's a lot different than that. I want to remind you that there are those who have seen it! Why don't you ask somebody who has had what you would call a near-death experience? 


"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Lose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Pedal wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.)  - New !