Will Britain Require Clergy To Bless Gays and Give Them Communion?

A posting last week discussed some of the concerns that religious groups in England have about proposed British government regulations banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in furnishing goods and services. Those concerns related to services offered by religiously affiliated organizations. Today LifeSiteNews reports the Church of England is suggesting that the regulations could have a much more direct impact on core functions of the Church itself. It says that under the proposed regulations it will be illegal for churches to deny gay and lesbian couples use of churches for civil commitment ceremonies, and clergy would be required to bless same-sex couples. It says that communion falls under the definition of services, so it would be illegal for a clergyman to deny communion to homosexuals.

In fact it seems unlikely that the final regulations will be this broad. Here is what the March 2006 Consultation Paper said about the issue:

Churches, mosques and many other religious organisations advance their faith or belief through activities such as worship, teaching and preaching, officiating in marriage, conducting baptisms and giving sacraments to members of their religious community. We recognise that there may be circumstances where the new regulations could impact on aspects of religious activity or practice in the light of the doctrines of some faiths concerning sexual orientation and the beliefs of their followers. We need to consider therefore the application of the regulations in these areas.

We are interested to hear views on the impact that the regulations may have in these areas, particularly where the regulations may impede religious observance or practices that arise from the basic doctrines of a faith. Any exceptions from the regulations for religious organisations would need to be clearly defined and our starting point is that these should be limited to activities closely linked to religious observance or practices that arise from the basic doctrines of a faith.