The Church of Scotland’s general assembly is meeting in May and on the table to discuss: the topic of allowing same-sex marriages to be performed in the church. While same-sex marriage became legal in Scotland three years ago, the Church of Scotland is protected under legislation, meaning that church officials are not legally required to perform same-sex weddings. A report has been submitted to the general assembly asking that the church officiate same-sex marriages as well apologize to the LGBTQ community for their known history of discrimination.
“A range of theological perspectives on same-sex marriage are examined in the paper, from the traditionalist based on the view that biblical writers condemned same-sex acts meaning the Church had to forbid it, to more ‘inclusive arguments’ that the writing was made in ‘cultural contexts very different from our own and referred to individual acts rather than committed and faithful people,'” according to Belfast Telegraph.
The proposed change comes almost ten years after the controversial 2009 appointment of the first openly gay minister, Reverend Scott Rennie, and just one year after the decision to accepts ministers who are in LGBT marriages. This timeline of acceptance is giving people hope that another positive change for the Church is just around the corner.
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