Irish Evangelical Alliance backs gay 'marriage'

EA Ireland’s General Director stated: “The Government is seeking to legislate for greater justice and fairness for co-habiting couples, both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. As Christians we should support that stance.”

Evangelical Alliance Ireland has controversially suggested that Christians should support a Bill that would extend the rights and privileges of marriage to homosexual couples who register their partnerships.

The suggestion has drawn fire from other evangelical groups.

The Civil Partnership Bill currently before the Irish Parliament would grant welfare and tax benefits on a par with marriage to homosexual couples who enter a civil partnership.

The statement issued by the Evangelical Alliance, Ireland states:

We suggest that evangelical Christians should support the basic thrust of the Bill. The Goverment is seeking to legislate for greater justice and fairness for co-habiting couples both same-sex and opposite-sec couples. As Christians we hould support that stance. Co-habiting couples are a reality - this legislation seeks to deal with that reality from a legal perspective. We may disagree on the detail of the legislation but as followers of a just and compassionate God we can recognise the justice and fairness of providing some legal protection for the reality of both same-sex and opposite-sex cohabiting relationships.

Read the full statement by <clicking here>.

A report from the Christian Institute reads:

Granting marriage rights to homosexual liaisons is at odds with the views of many people in the Republic of Ireland.

The Alliance’s approach has been criticised by the Honorary Secretary of Aontas, previously known as the Association of Irish Evangelical Churches.

Pastor Paudge Mulvihill expressed “profound sadness” about the Alliance’s response to the Bill. He said: “Aontas remains opposed to the Civil Partnership Bill because it undermines the status of marriage.”

There are concerns that giving same-sex couples and temporary relationships the same status as marriage devalues the currency of marriage.
Read on...........

Christians Together, 15/02/2011