JERSEY was voting this week on whether to allow same-sex
marriages. The Channel Island has allowed same-sex couples to enter
into civil partnerships since 2012, but since same-sex marriages
came into force in England and Wales earlier this year, it has been
out of step with them.
The proposition was being debated on Wednesday by the States,
which is the government of Jersey. An amendment has been made to
the proposition, to allow churches and faith communities to opt
out.
A group of Evangelical churches in Jersey has lobbied for the
law on marriage in Jersey to remain unchanged. In a letter from the
Jersey Evangelical Alliance, which was leaked to the BBC, a group
of church leaders suggests that homosexual relationships are
"commonly associated" with "instabilities and infidelities".
The letter, which calls for a referendum to be held on the
subject, has been branded as "sinister" by the Deputy for St Helier
No. 2 District, Sam Mézec, who put forward the proposition to
change the law.
One of the authors of the letter, the Revd Mike Taylor, said
that, in retrospect, the phrase was unwise, but the group was
concerned that the change in the law was being rushed through
without allowing the people of Jersey to have their say.
In a statement, the Jersey Evangelical Alliance said: "There is
already provision for civil partnerships in law, and this should be
sufficient, as it has advantages similar to marriage, in any case.
Why redefine the relationship that has stood the test of time for
millennia, such as marriage?"
