My Blog seems to be turning into a continuous rant about the stupidity of the CofE – says something of where I’m at right now I suppose – I wasn’t going to continue the rant until I read a couple of articles about an Archbishop and a former Archbishop – the first, John Sentamu current Archbishop of York, and the latter, Lord Carey of Clifton, that’s humble George Carey as was, former Archbishop of Canterbury. They’ve both been making proclamations regarding the legalising of Gay Marriage and how if this were to happen it would cause the earth to shift on its axis and society would fall into complete collapse with ‘normal’ marriages being marginalised and children growing up to become immoral delinquents etc etc. Well, that’s the gist of their argument at least. They use phrases like ‘dictatorship’ and suggest that it is not the role of Government to define marriage. The naive suggestion is that marriage is somehow encoded into the human DNA and that since the emergence of the human race we were destined only ever to enter into a ‘marriage’ as one man and one woman. The thought that one woman could enter into a marriage with another woman or one man with another man is for them anathema (although lets face it, their argument really isn’t about lesbians is it chaps? Its the naughty boys you are most upset about isn’t it?). But what really are we talking about when we talk about marriage? Surely we are talking about a partnership, a contract between two people who love one another (hopefully) and who wish to enter into a binding relationship (hopefully). We are not talking about procreation – are we bishops? We are not talking about the Bible – are we bishops? Because if you are you have a problem. The bible doesn’t perform too well on the whole ‘marriage’ front.

David and Bathsheba - Marc Chagall

King David was married when he decided to rape Bathsheba after watching her bathe on her roof (he was home alone while his troops were fighting another bloody battle and Bathsheba then got pregnant. David tried to ‘frame’ her husband by inviting him back from the war in the hope that he would sleep with his wife, but when Uriah refused to sleep with her out of loyalty to his fellow soldiers, David sent him back with a message to the captain telling him to put Uriah on the front line so that he would only ever return from the war in a body bag – nice). The story continues with dreadful consequences – not a great example of biblical marriage. Solomon, David’s heir, when King managed to amass for himself 700 wives (and 300 concubines!). Indeed, polygamy was rife in the Old Testament (as was daughters sleeping with their fathers, fathers offering their daughters to a sexually ravenous crowd, and many other nefarious practices). In the New Testament there is very little said about marriage per se, Paul says that it is better NOT to marry (bang goes the procreation argument) although to be fair he does say that if you’re finding it hard to keep your member in your pants, then it is better to marry (Doh!). But the Bishops will probably want to do some twisting and turning of the material to back up their position, however, it won’t work. Even if the Bible did speak unequivocally about marriage only ever being intended for one man and one woman for life. It says an awful lot of other stuff that we have since redefined – thank God – not least, stoning adulterers, excluding menstruating women, demonising the mentally sick and slavery (something that Mr Sentamu should think deeply about, since much of the apartheid views promulgated for so many years in South Africa were firmly rooted in the biblical exegesis of the christian right wing – not to mention the deep south of America).

I could go on but I’m bored and frustrated by the whole banality of their arguments – they suggest that marriage would be damaged if Gay folk were allowed to join in – how naive are these people? Marriage is no guarantee that a relationship will be whole and healthy – countless marriages between heterosexuals are damaging and destructive to those involved. It is people who make a thing worthwhile or not, people of many different orientations and political beliefs and world views. I have known gay couples who have been sensitive and faithful and caring and I have known heterosexual couples who have been hateful and unfaithful and destructive (and vice versa). I also know many couples who have chosen not to ‘marry’ and who function perfectly well as friends, lovers and parents. These are the rantings of a failing institution unsure of what it is and what it is meant to be about. Why, for example, if Lord Carey of Clifton is such a devout, bible believing man, has he not renounced his title on the basis of Matthew 20.25-28 – maybe drop the Lord bit George. But don’t get me started on that! Simple solution – the CofE needs to disestablish itself, all who want to enter into a mutually beneficial contractual relationship ‘marry’ in a civil ceremony under civil law. Those who feel so inclined can then choose to have another ceremony in a church or a mosque or a synagog or a temple or a garden shed – job done.

Today’s track – Modern Love by Mr David Bowie