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1. Since when has any Government allowed any form of legislation to stop it from doing what it wants?
   Mr Cameron may be able to make promises, but the reality is he is also going to have a serious talk with his parliamentary collegues if he wants to fulfill his word.
   This will be a horse of an entirely different colour.
   In the end it will not matter, because, based on conscience reasons, the Catholic clergy at least will engage in the the age old tradition of civil disobedience.
   It is the same as revealing confessional material. With all the Catholic clergy locked up in Her Majesty's facilities, I can really see some interesting times ahead. Personally I would not worry. There are probably quite a number of priests who would like a few weeks off; no commitments; three meals a day; and no mobile phones to worry about. I am not being cynical here, I am serious. There is no Catholic priest in Great Britain who will perform a same sex marriage, and I hope and pray that they will stick to their principles. It is no more than the Disciples did after Christ rose.
   They suffered for their faith, and I am sure Catholic priests in England will take the same stand. I would if I were there, and I'd be proud to do it and stand with them.
   Contrary to poular opinion, there is such a thing as bad law, and this is such an example!

   Posted By: paul

2. Here, here Paul! Well said. I too trust that the priests will make a stand for what is right under God's law.

   Posted By: Karyn

3. Another good argument to separate the legal stuff from the church stuff.
   This already happens in many European countries where the couples get their legal recognition at the registry office and then go to the church for another ceremony to get the Church's blessing.
   Let's tell the government they can go ahead with the legal stuff.
   As a clergyman, I will gladly give up my legal duties and simply offer blessings to those who wish the church's acknowledgement. I know that there are a lot of clergy who would delight in such a concept.

   Posted By: Bob

4. I thoroughly agree with Bob.
   If it comes to clergy being able to bless a marriage, I can see no possible way we would be breaking the law. Whether the Church would approve of this is a question yet to be clarified. I would bless a marriage but where same sex marriages are concerned, it would not be possible. If the Church approves a blessing, that may be possible.

   Posted By: paul

5. I guess they better open up the Tower of London again!
   Where will it end? This is nothing short of persecution.
   Fortunately, Catholics in the UK have the wonderful examples of the Martyrs of the English Reformation to provide inspiration and intersession.

   Posted By: Andrea

6. I'm with Bob. Let's separate the religious ceremony, where the sacrament of matrimony is received, from the civil process by which a union is registered.
   That will enable gay people to be joined in a publicly recognized civil union, while not requiring any religious body to go against its conscience.
   Civil unions for all, but no official church witness for any of them, gay or straight.
   Ministers might well be glad to be relieved of the paperwork!
   Of course, people, including straight people, would have to think twice about having their wedding in a church just because it's beautiful and traditional - the church premises just wouldn't be available for their civil union.

   Posted By: Joan Seymour

7. I wasn't considering blessing relationships of same sex couples.
   I don't even want us using the term to describe their relationship.
   That's really my main concern.
   I acknowledge that there may be reasons for people of the same sex to enter into some kind of committed relationship but, please, let's not call it marriage.
   Call it whatever, but we can't call it a marriage which is between a man and a woman and always has been understood that way

   Posted By: Bob

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