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Church warns over gay marriage

Gay marriage threatens the establishment of the Church of England, it claims, and could mean it is forced out of its role of conducting weddings on behalf of the state.

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Human rights campaigner: Gay marriage 'will not affect' CoE

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused the Church of England of "scaremongering, exaggerating the effects of same-sex marriage and advocating legal discrimination", saying public opinion was overwhelmingly in favour of same-sex marriage.

They will have no impact on faith organisations or places of worship. Senior churchmen are protesting against a law change that will not affect them.

They have no right to demand that gay couples should be banned from civil marriage ceremonies.

It is absurd to suggest that allowing same-sex civil marriages would lead to legal challenges that could force churches to marry gay couples.

Civil divorces are legal, yet there has never been a successful legal challenge to religious organisations that ban divorce. The courts recognise a distinction between civil and religious institutions.

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