Are you deviant?

[Tessa K]

The Church of England has said that sex is for married hetero couples only.

The Church of England has stated that sex belongs only within heterosexual marriage, and that sex in gay or straight civil partnerships “falls short of God’s purpose for human beings”.

Bishops have issued pastoral guidance in response to the recent introduction to mixed-sex civil partnerships, which says: “For Christians, marriage – that is, the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows – remains the proper context for sexual activity.”

The church “seeks to uphold that standard” in its approach to civil partnerships, and “to affirm the value of committed, sexually abstinent friendships” within such partnerships.

Is it really so threatened by hetero civil partnerships that it's having a hissy fit? It would seem so.

And hello to all my fellow deviants.

[mikeh]

And hello to all my fellow deviants.

Good evening.

Is there a certificate available? Some CPD?

[Bird on a Fire]

I was, but I'm married now.

It was a civil ceremony, but to a member of the opposite sex, so I'm not sure how that group of strangers views my sex life.

[jimbob]

I was, but I'm married now.

It was a civil ceremony, but to a member of the opposite sex, so I'm not sure how that group of strangers views my sex life.

With too much interest to not be creepy

[dyqik]

Has the Church of England checked their founder's views on this subject?

[GeenDienst]

I don't get this bit...

“Civil partnership is not the same as marriage, which is founded on the taking of solemn public vows ..."

I'm sure someone here has conjoined in matrimony via a civil partnership. Did you not utter "solemn vows" in the presence of one or more witnesses?

But typically of CoE, the wording there gets rather disappointed with all these not-hetero-church-marriaged shenanigans, but can't quite manage to conjure up any fire and brimstone.

And:

C of E clergy “should not provide services of blessing for those who register a civil partnership”.

And what happens when they do? Like these ones want to. I'm sure people will go on ignoring the CoE, which is its purpose in life.

[Little waster]

But typically of CoE, the wording there gets rather disappointed with all these not-hetero-church-marriaged shenanigans, but can't quite manage to conjure up any fire and brimstone.

Wedding Cake or Death!

[dyqik]

But typically of CoE, the wording there gets rather disappointed with all these not-hetero-church-marriaged shenanigans, but can't quite manage to conjure up any fire and brimstone.

Wedding Cake or Death!

The CoE is most likely to kill people by generating obesity via gently insisting that they eat more cake. So maybe it's not an exclusive "or".

[GeenDienst]

For Christians, marriage – that is, the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows – remains the proper context for sexual activity.

And the rest of us have bus shelters.

[Gentleman Jim]

For Christians, marriage – that is, the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows – remains the proper context for sexual activity.

And the rest of us have bus shelters.

You've been listening to "The Beautiful South" again

[Bird on a Fire]

I don't get this bit...

“Civil partnership is not the same as marriage, which is founded on the taking of solemn public vows ..."

I'm sure someone here has conjoined in matrimony via a civil partnership. Did you not utter "solemn vows" in the presence of one or more witnesses?

We did (in Portugal mind). Vows, legal contract, two witnesses.

The officiant also explained how to get a divorce just before we did the the vows, which was jolly. I guess it makes sense in terms of the legalities of entering a contract, but I could imagine its being a bit of a buzzkill for a less secure couple.

There wasn't any mention of God, though, which I expect is what the CoE are getting it. The few things in society that still involve the church - Christmas, Easter and the big three (birth, marriage, death) - are all increasingly godless. They're looking to maintain relevance, and have opted for attempted bullying, which is always wildly successful.

[Martin Y]

You did not say the right magic words.

Now the volcano god is angry.

He will probably make passive aggressive ambiguously snarky comments about you at social events. Forever.

You brought it upon yourselves.

[lpm]

My view is the Catholic Church should shut the f.ck up about sexual matters for the next 1,200 years and use the time to reflect on the full horror of its crimes and how its imaginary sky deity would feel about enabling the rape of children.

But the Church of England only needs to shut the f.ck up for 850 years.

I'm happy to return to their comments in 2870.

[Boustrophedon]

Well deviant.

Justin Welby is an evangelical low church product of the alpha course which in itself has roots back in evangelical US theology. I have experienced talks/sermons/seminars by leading exponents of this type of theology and they just don't like sex. Well those that do tend not to go on about it.

They don't like sex because sex motivates people strongly and that detracts away from the power, the misogyny and the patriarchy of the church.

It's not just sex outside of church sanctioned marriage they don't like, It is anything that is not strictly penis in vagina of someone you are married to. That's it: No m.st.rbation, no oral and definitely no anal, because these body parts are not designed by god for those things. I kid you not*.

Unless you have experienced the sh.t that I have witnessed, like the hour and a half sermon from a sexually uptight vicar and leading CofE theologian with many glossy paperbacks to his name, who had a strange fixation with the masturbatory uses of candlesticks, then you have no idea just how screwed up some of these people are.

Watch the IICSA videos on Youtube or read the summary reports on their investigations into the Anglican church, then try to tell me they have any moral authority on sex.

*Actually they are not to keen on contraception either.

[dyqik]

I don't get this bit...

“Civil partnership is not the same as marriage, which is founded on the taking of solemn public vows ..."

I'm sure someone here has conjoined in matrimony via a civil partnership. Did you not utter "solemn vows" in the presence of one or more witnesses?

Yes, and with a government official rather than some random guy* employed by a private organization that doesn't like to admit that it's beholden to any government rules or regulations.

[Tessa K]

They do seem convinced that if they can get people through the door for the hatch, match, despatch rituals then a bit of God will rub off on them and bring them back to the Church. Religion as contagion.

[JQH]

Anybody who saw that two part documentary about Bishop Ball would realise that the CofE has forfitted the right to pontificate on sexual matters.

[Little waster]

Anybody who saw that two part documentary about Bishop Ball would realise that the CofE has forfitted the right to pontificate on sexual matters.

ISWYDT

[individualmember]

Justin Welby is an evangelical low church product of the alpha course which in itself has roots back in evangelical US theology.

Now I get it. Those fuckwits are who drove me away from organised religion when I was a teenager. Before I came into contact with them I was comfortable in woolly but generally pragmatic Anglicanism (even lived in a vicarage for a few years, my grandfather was a vicar, after my parents divorced)

[murmur]

So, where do they stand on registry office weddings with nary a hint of any god of any class?

And I'm an ex-Methodist anyway, so the CoE can just f.ck right off!

And what Don said and lpm said too.

[jimbob]

Don, Duck, and Opti... and a couple of my other Facebook friends have come across a retired colleague of mine who's got some rather post*-deluvian views on this subject.

And the thing is - some of the best people I know are indeed devout and generous (and tolerant) Christians. Including several other retired colleagues.


This is an enlightening post though - thanks, Don

Well deviant.

Justin Welby is an evangelical low church product of the alpha course which in itself has roots back in evangelical US theology. I have experienced talks/sermons/seminars by leading exponents of this type of theology and they just don't like sex. Well those that do tend not to go on about it.

They don't like sex because sex motivates people strongly and that detracts away from the power, the misogyny and the patriarchy of the church.

It's not just sex outside of church sanctioned marriage they don't like, It is anything that is not strictly penis in vagina of someone you are married to. That's it: No m.st.rbation, no oral and definitely no anal, because these body parts are not designed by god for those things. I kid you not*.

Unless you have experienced the sh.t that I have witnessed, like the hour and a half sermon from a sexually uptight vicar and leading CofE theologian with many glossy paperbacks to his name, who had a strange fixation with the masturbatory uses of candlesticks, then you have no idea just how screwed up some of these people are.

Watch the IICSA videos on Youtube or read the summary reports on their investigations into the Anglican church, then try to tell me they have any moral authority on sex.

*Actually they are not to keen on contraception either.

*He's got as far as Leviticus

[jimbob]

My view is the Catholic Church should shut the f.ck up about sexual matters for the next 1,200 years and use the time to reflect on the full horror of its crimes and how its imaginary sky deity would feel about enabling the rape of children.

But the Church of England only needs to shut the f.ck up for 850 years.

I'm happy to return to their comments in 2870.

Have you read Leviticus? The imaginary sky deity would be quite happy.

[plebian]

There's a cocktail bar in a deconsecrated church I go to sometimes. Its too good an irony to not partake of some consenting deviance in the former vestry, knowing it is less deviant than that which came before.

The bar is named Freud. Make of that what you will.

[Dermot O'Logical]

If you can manage to leave you pants in the vestry and your vest in the pantry then Ronnie Barker will be smiling down on you at least.

[cvb]

I don't get this bit...

“Civil partnership is not the same as marriage, which is founded on the taking of solemn public vows ..."

I'm sure someone here has conjoined in matrimony via a civil partnership. Did you not utter "solemn vows" in the presence of one or more witnesses?

Yes, and with a government official rather than some random guy* employed by a private organization that doesn't like to admit that it's beholden to any government rules or regulations.

Just to point out that in law you are not married until you sign the marriage certificate which is not a religious thing.

The sky fairy bit counts for nothing.