Dean Jeffrey John of St. Alban’s Cathedral in England has made a powerful pitch for marriage equality in the United Kingdom.
Out4Marriage also published a press release that you can read by clicking Read more.
Immediate release: Dean of St Albans says Church has ‘lost integrity’
on gay marriage that he believes God supports
The Dean of St Albans, the Very Rev Dr Jeffery John has become the most senior member of the Church of England to join the Out4Marriage campaign for gay marriage to be introduced in the UK. Dr John criticises the leadership of the Church of England saying it “doesn’t speak with integrity on this issue and so, frankly, doesn’t deserve to be listened to”.
Dr John, who is openly gay and is in a celibate civil partnership has twice been overlooked as a bishop due to his sexual orientation.
His Out4Marriage video has been released the day before he is due to meet the prime minister at David Cameron’s annual reception for gay community leaders. In his video, Dr John goes as far as saying that he believes that God like him is Out4Marriage.
Dr John said: “The Government has promised to extend civil marriage to gay couples by 2015 and I for one am very glad about and grateful for that promise. But I am also sad because the Church that I love and serve is opposing it, when it should be rejoicing at it. And sad because the Church is meant is show Christ’s face to the world and on
this subject, it doesn’t.
“The Gospel says that God is love; the Doctrine of the Trinity says that God Himself exists as a Union of Persons in love and that He made us in His own image. In other words, he made us persons who are capable of loving one another as he loves us. The Church calls
marriage holy and a sacrament because when two people love another so much that they want to be united for life, then that commitment, that covenant of love between them, reflects something of God’s own nature, His kind of loving in us. When we love somebody so much that we really do care more about them than we do ourselves, then we have found the greatest thing in life – the holiest part of us.
“And of course, two people of the same sex can love one another in that way just as much as two people of the opposite sex can. It’s true that a gay couple can’t have children together, but then again neither can a hetreosexual couple if they are infertile or past the age of childbearing. The Church has never refused to marry a heterosexual couple that can’t have children, so why refuse gay couples?
“If you are gay, please don’t judge God by the Church. The official Church doesn’t speak with integrity on this issue and so, frankly, doesn’t deserve to be listened to. If you are gay, then please understand that God made you as you are, and loves you as you are, and
if you invite him into your relationship, then of course he will bless you and sustain your love just as much as he blesses and sustains any other marriage.
“I know that’s true from my own experience and that’s why I’m Out4Marriage, because I’m sure God is too.”
The Out4Marriage campaign has featured videos by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Home Secretary Theresa May and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson, singer Paloma Faith and girl group The Saturdays.
Benjamin Cohen of Out4Marriage said: “Dr John passionately argues the theological case for every couple in the UK to be allowed to marry. We welcome his value contribution to the debate. As a campaign we believe that every couple in Britain should have the right not just to marry not just in civil ceremonies but also in religious marriages.”