Bishop of Blackburn: No gay marriages in my churches

12:30pm Tuesday 15th February 2011 in News Photograph of the Author By Tom Moseley, Reporter

STANCE Rt Rev Bishop Nicholas Reade STANCE Rt Rev Bishop Nicholas Reade

EAST Lancashire’s churches will not be used for ‘gay marriage’ ceremonies, the Bishop of Blackburn has said.

The Rt Rev Bishop Nicholas Reade hit out at the government for ‘interfering’ with the church’s business after plans were revealed to allow same-sex couples to ‘marry’ in church.

This would involve lifting the ban currently in place.

That move has been welcomed by gay rights campaigners, who said it was ‘long overdue’.

But Bishop Nicholas, whose diocese covers the whole of East Lancashire, said it was not the government’s role to make the change.

He said: “I find it quite hard to understand why the government should think it can interfere with the teachings of the church.

“Church and state are not the same thing, and I am very surprise that without any consultation with the church the government is making such a sweeping statement.”

Bishop Nicholas’ views echo an official statement from the Church of England, which said it would not allow its churches to be used.

Marriage between people of the same gender is not legal in the UK, but civil partnerships were introduced in 2005 to give couples the same legal protection.

Bishop Nicholas said: “There is a very big distinction between a civil partnership and a so-called gay marriage.

"As far as the church is concerned you can only have a marriage between a man and a woman.

"When I marry people in church we talk about the husband and wife, and marriage being the foundation of family life.

“I would not be able to give my consent to a church being used for a gay marriage.”

Ben Summerskill, the chief executive of the Stonewall charity, which has been campaigning for the change, said: “This is a very important step forward for many lesbian and gay people of faith and an important issue of religious freedom.

"It will, we believe, serve as a significant step forward towards extending the legal form of marriage to gay people.”

Comments(50)

BuckoTheMoose says...
12:38pm Tue 15 Feb 11

I never normally speak in defence of religion will I will in this instance.
The government has no business poking it's nose in.
Stand your ground Mr Bishop

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Mikeee47 says...
12:45pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Too right totaly agree, this country is getting too PC, I have nothing against Gays before the Homophobic card is thrown, I also have gay friends, live and let live, but this whole thing is being rammed down our throats, pardon the pun.
What is it with these MPs who run the country FOR US might I add, we only elect these people, Its our voice that counts NOT THE GOVT', I'm getting fed up with comming 2nd to Ethnics & Gays, The country's gone mad

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Joseph Yossarian says...
12:47pm Tue 15 Feb 11

The bishop seems to think that he and is little club are above the law.

Gay people are just as capable of having a big imaginary friend in the sky as everybody else.
That they get unequal treatment from the church simply shows how fearful the church is of erosion of their stone-age morals.

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useyourhead says...
12:47pm Tue 15 Feb 11

It's only right that gay couples are allowed to legally protect goods and finances, also to give them next of kin rights etc by having the civil ceremonies but trying to change any fundamental beliefs or religous doctrines (whatever the religion) is ridiculous. I am not of any religion but even i can see this is a step too far.

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Carlost says...
12:49pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Stop getting your cassocks in a twist. The Government is not forcing anyone to do anything. It is simply lifting a ban (why was there a ban in the first place? ) so that consenting people can do whatever ceremonies they want wherever they want to. Providing they are doing no harm to anyone else what is the problem. If a Church dosen't want to perform a ceremony then thats OK. Religion and the state are not totally separate - a religious belief is not above the Law and nor should it be. The sooner all "believers" understand that their "point of view" is not above anyone elses the better.

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nearly sane says...
12:53pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Does the opinion of a old man who wears a dress to work and lives his life around the existence of an imaginary dictator that if you read the Bible cares more about his ego and condoning slavery and murder than anything doing anything else really matter? Inexplicably it appears to for so many.

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PadihamThickneck says...
1:01pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Its like having a beer tent in a mosque.....MUST NOT HAPPEN

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Mikeee47 says...
1:12pm Tue 15 Feb 11

PadihamThickneck wrote:
Its like having a beer tent in a mosque.....MUST NOT HAPPEN
WHY? sounds like a good idea to me as there are now more of them than pubs round here

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RoverInRotterdam says...
1:17pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Like all so called equality campaigns , no doubt eventually it will happen,regardless of the wishes of the Bishops and congregations , i just wonder if the same campaign is being aimed at the mosques,synagogues,t
emples etc. i'm not religious whatsoever myself,but i'd be interested to know.

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Excluded again says...
1:20pm Tue 15 Feb 11

The government's proposal is to allow gay marriages to take place in religious buildings. At the moment this is not allowed.

However, the proposals will not make it compulsary for gay marriages to take place in religious buildings. Different religious buildings can make their own choice.

I suspect many of the more bigoted sects in religions like Christianity and Islam will choose to opt out of allowing gay people to marry in their buildings.

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Armchair Warrior says...
1:31pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Completely agree with the Bishop - God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve

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Dickiepayshey says...
1:35pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Why don't the people who want same gender marriages form their own Church and have done with it ?

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don't worry be happy says...
1:52pm Tue 15 Feb 11

The Bishop says ' Church and state are not the same thing' I whole heartedly agree, so lets kick all the archbisops out of the House of Lords because they have no right to influence the laws of this country in that case.
I do actually agree with the bishop and gay marriages, and I am a gay man who has lived with my partner very happily for many many years and have no desire to have a marriage ceremony, but as he accuses the government of making sweeping statements he shouldnt either, he may just end up with egg on his face and look even more stupid than many of his fellow bishops often do.

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don't worry be happy says...
1:59pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Armchair Warrior, Blackburn says...
1:31pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Completely agree with the Bishop - God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
So you watched the BBC3 programme on Gays in Uganda last night as well!!

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happycyclist says...
2:03pm Tue 15 Feb 11

If B&B owners have to live by the law and aren't allowed to discriminate, then so should this bigot.

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ladysal says...
2:30pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Joseph Yossarian wrote:
The bishop seems to think that he and is little club are above the law. Gay people are just as capable of having a big imaginary friend in the sky as everybody else. That they get unequal treatment from the church simply shows how fearful the church is of erosion of their stone-age morals.
Try it this way: you join a club, you abide by their rules. Those who choose not to join the club have no right to call anyone in the club for their beliefs etc. Those who are not in the club should not have the right to make statments involving how that club runs etc unless of course there are legitimate concerns regarding Health & Safety and the legality of what goes on (and hurting someone's feeling does not come into that category!)
Civil partnerships deal with the financial and legal aspects which are usually protected by marriage and give those people the right to a special day which is on a par with most non-religious marriages these days.
Why any self respecting gay or lesbian person would want to marry in church is beyond me, seeing as the rules of all the churches go against everything they believe in / all their lifestyle choices.Yes, we have senior clergy in the House of Lords: that is a tradition which dates back to the middle ages and even further and I agree now is the time to seriously consider whether it is still appropriate. However (and correct me if I am wrong), altering that would require an Act of Parliament.
I (and many others like me) have my beliefs and belong to a "club" which allows me to practice them. Why should I change that just because YOU don't like it? I don't see anyone else twisting your arm to make you join. I am sure there are many gay and lesbian people quietly going about their business who are also in that club: they just accept their right to disagree with certain aspects and don't create waves for the sake of it.

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Carlost says...
2:38pm Tue 15 Feb 11

God Made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve! I keep hearing this phrase but what is it supposed to mean? If you believe in the Bible Stories then of course God made Adam and Eve and Steve and John and Fred and Pete and etc. etc. According to modern religious dogma God made man and woman in his own image. So by this reasoning God must be some form of bisexual hemaphrodite at best, would he be allowed a Church ceremony. We are told that God loves us all, saints and sinners alike unless that is our sexual prefernces are different. I think everyone's sexual preferences are different, just ask a catholic priest.

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retired one says...
2:44pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Armchair Warrior wrote:
Completely agree with the Bishop - God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
Nice one.

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jack daniels says...
3:20pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Armchair Warrior wrote:
Completely agree with the Bishop - God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
yawn

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jinkyjase says...
3:23pm Tue 15 Feb 11

God made the rules, not the fault of us mere mortals he doesn't like gay folk.

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jack daniels says...
3:26pm Tue 15 Feb 11

why would gay men, (who are stereo-typically snazzy dressers anyway), want to get married by a cross dressing homophobic, narrow minded kn0b anyway?

When you consider than a huge number of people get married in the eyes of god, just to have that fantastic white wedding, then never go back to church again; i think the whole thing is a farce.

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workaholic says...
3:30pm Tue 15 Feb 11

happycyclist wrote:
If B&B owners have to live by the law and aren't allowed to discriminate, then so should this bigot.
Here Here !!!

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burner says...
3:51pm Tue 15 Feb 11

happycyclist wrote:
If B&B owners have to live by the law and aren't allowed to discriminate, then so should this bigot.
Agreed !! It's 2011 but I must admit I like your frock, Bish.

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jack daniels says...
3:53pm Tue 15 Feb 11

jinkyjase wrote:
God made the rules, not the fault of us mere mortals he doesn't like gay folk.
Actually the bishop's beliefs are based on the King James bible, so therefore the rules the odd-ball homophobe is laying down, is not really the word of god but of an unelected king.

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pinkfairyone says...
4:06pm Tue 15 Feb 11

I don't want to settle down get married etc... And I sure as **** wouldn't want to get married in ANY church not for anyone or for any reason... full of fiddlers ! stick that up ya cassock..Reade.

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ossy says...
4:07pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Armchair Warrior wrote:
Completely agree with the Bishop - God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
I agree, if men were meant to marry men and women meant to marry women both sexes would be able to bear children.
I am not at all religious but fully agree with the bishop.

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rob_ossy says...
4:40pm Tue 15 Feb 11

Homosexuality has no place in a house of God believe me read it in
Romans chapter 1 verse 24 - 32

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Lifeinthemix says...
5:01pm Tue 15 Feb 11

jack daniels wrote:
jinkyjase wrote:
God made the rules, not the fault of us mere mortals he doesn't like gay folk.
Actually the bishop's beliefs are based on the King James bible, so therefore the rules the odd-ball homophobe is laying down, is not really the word of god but of an unelected king.
you are correct...and the King James is a statute script found to have 36.000 translation errors within it, edited and commissioned by Francis Bacon and the supreme satanic master John Dee. It was translated from the Greek which incorporates the Babylon Hamurabi Code, aka Statute Law.
.
What we have today are nonconformist Evangelical-Zionist CofE operatives as the House of Lords after Blair's mutilation is now seating a Zionist House, these people are not Christian's they represent not Christianity, they represent Babylon....

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Lifeinthemix says...
5:07pm Tue 15 Feb 11

the script bringing fourth all such debased writings into the three religions is the Jewish Oral Law, the Talmud. This bastardised translation of the oral law was forced onto orthodox Judaism late fourth century, just after the maniac Constantine formed the Church of Rome.
.
For the original Biblical doctrines one musty look to the Vulgate and the Coptic Church, though there are many what we could call early Bibles coming from the many differing races of the times.... I have a thesis on this very subject, unfortunatly BT have blocked and continue to block the site on which it is presented.......

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britguy says...
5:43pm Tue 15 Feb 11

happycyclist wrote:
If B&B owners have to live by the law and aren't allowed to discriminate, then so should this bigot.
Bigot...bit of a catch 22 word as the true meaning is "a person who has strong, unreasonable beliefs and who thinks that anyone who does not have the same beliefs is wrong" so therefore anyone calling a person a bigot is by definition a bigot themselves.
It has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with a minority group wanting to push the boundaries of decency further.
Like it or not the bible clearly states the marriage is the union of one man and one woman for the procreation of mankind and no matter how important the gays think they are or how many ops they have procreation by two males is still impossible and always will be.
Added to that if there are no rules, no guidelines and no beliefs then the whole system falls into anarchy.

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happycyclist says...
5:58pm Tue 15 Feb 11

It's not marriage; it's civil partnership. The LT's headlines are misleading.

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ste.g says...
6:23pm Tue 15 Feb 11

BuckoTheMoose wrote:
I never normally speak in defence of religion will I will in this instance.
The government has no business poking it's nose in.
Stand your ground Mr Bishop
here here.and the same applies to the bishop were politics are concerned.

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christineandella says...
6:55pm Tue 15 Feb 11

I quite agree with the bishop - marriage is between a man and a woman and the government should butt out.

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Phuck Mei Banjina says...
6:55pm Tue 15 Feb 11

I think all this thing between men and women is something invented by novelist's.

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rggraham1947 says...
9:55pm Tue 15 Feb 11

This "dispensation" is meant to apply to all religions; I can just see the local mosque allowing same-sex marriages. Homosexuals are the new fascists.

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Phuck Mei Banjina says...
10:42pm Tue 15 Feb 11

rggraham1947 wrote:
This "dispensation" is meant to apply to all religions; I can just see the local mosque allowing same-sex marriages. Homosexuals are the new fascists.
sorry I just could not resist re-quote... Enjoy your bubbled lifes as us queers know exactly where we are... we want not a single thing of what you have ... just to be left in peace. I thank you. Of course you will always get the exception to the rule... in which case may I suggest you put up with it and/or stop breeding fore it is you straight gods whom bringeth queers into the world... you cannot catch it like a virus my dears... Does anyone actually believe that a humble 'gay' such as myself would choose this life ?? those who do need to come out of the closet hence forth with a click of ones Ruby Slippers. I do understand you must toil each night over whom and exactly what we get up to in t'bed... but one should worry not. As it cannot be caught my dears. you are safe in your beds. sleep easy my cherubs for tomorrow is another day xxx

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kim says...
1:25am Wed 16 Feb 11

So why dose the Church Interfer with Goverment, you can't
tell Goverment to keep out of Church business and then poke your nose in Goverment's business. He's got a face you want to slap any way, smug git

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Revan says...
4:00am Wed 16 Feb 11

ossy wrote:
Armchair Warrior wrote:
Completely agree with the Bishop - God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
I agree, if men were meant to marry men and women meant to marry women both sexes would be able to bear children.
I am not at all religious but fully agree with the bishop.
Oh give me a break. That's you religious folks reasoning for everything. Adam and Eve this, Adam and Eve that. Question? Where's your proof Adam and Eve existed aside from a book written by mortal men?

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Joseph Yossarian says...
8:17am Wed 16 Feb 11

Maybe the bish has done is homework and realised that what with all the sham marriages for illegal immigrants he seems to allow in east lancs he simply doesn't have the time to allow gay marriages too!

What about two loving gay priests?

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Graham Martin-Royle says...
9:20am Wed 16 Feb 11

“Church and state are not the same thing, "

Quite correct, so I take it he is in favour of removing bishops from the House of Lords?

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Carlost says...
2:27pm Wed 16 Feb 11

To anyone who does not subscibe to irrational religious nonsense the picture above apears to be a man wearing a silly hat dressed in silly clothes holding a silly stick - a type of stylish morris dancer or competition for Ken Dodd! Are we supposed to take anything he says seriously!

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j166429 says...
3:33pm Wed 16 Feb 11

Armchair Warrior wrote:
Completely agree with the Bishop - God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
Sounds like something Alan Partridge would say!

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nice person says...
1:49am Thu 17 Feb 11

Joseph Yossarian wrote:
The bishop seems to think that he and is little club are above the law.

Gay people are just as capable of having a big imaginary friend in the sky as everybody else.
That they get unequal treatment from the church simply shows how fearful the church is of erosion of their stone-age morals.
Strange how they quote the bible as they see it, mayb'e they missed the part that says god loves everyone unconditionally.
Anyway there's probably been hundreds of gay men married in his church, they just haven't got round to telling their wife yet.

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nice person says...
1:54am Thu 17 Feb 11

Anyway who else thinks he looks like christopher biggins (LOL)

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jack daniels says...
9:11am Thu 17 Feb 11

nice person wrote:
Anyway who else thinks he looks like christopher biggins (LOL)
Do you mean that well know gay chap, christopher biggings? The 'actor' that always dresses up to play mrs wishy washy in the xmas pantos.

Now that you mention it....

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Pizapot says...
5:11pm Thu 17 Feb 11

Looks like the Bishop is getting a right old Bashing on here!

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I Khan't Believe It's HRH Salim Mulla says...
8:32pm Thu 17 Feb 11

You won't marry gays but you will form partnerships with a religion that in your churches eyes worships a false idol.
I thought the bare basics were the 10 commandments.
Thou shalt not worship false idols.
Have never read Thou shalt not munch carpet

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I Khan't Believe It's HRH Salim Mulla says...
8:33pm Thu 17 Feb 11

You won't marry gays but you will form partnerships with a religion that in your churches eyes worships a false idol.
I thought the bare basics were the 10 commandments.
Thou shalt not worship false idols.
Have never read Thou shalt not munch carpet

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jack daniels says...
9:12am Fri 18 Feb 11

Pizapot wrote:
Looks like the Bishop is getting a right old Bashing on here!
'groans at pun'

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nice person says...
4:37pm Fri 18 Feb 11

Someone needs to remind him that it isn't his church.
He is in full time employment and gets lots of pay.
Also he is not GOD merley an agent representing GOD and in my view doing a crap job of it..
Stick to doing PANTOS.

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