Church of England gay lobby "appalled" by bishops' gay marriage ban LGB&TI Anglican Coalition Response to the Church of England House of Bishops Pastoral Guidance Document on Same Sex Marriage. Issued 14 February 2014 The LGB&TI Anglican Coalition is appalled by the House of Bishops’ recently‐issued Pastoral Guidance on Same Sex Marriage, especially in the light of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s presidential address in which it was stated that differing views should be accepted in a spirit of ‘good disagreement’. In this document we see no acceptance of disagreement at all, but instead a heavy‐handed and legalistic imposition of discipline. The new guidance emphasises the well‐known fact that same‐sex couples will not be able to marry in Church of England churches even when equal marriage takes effect. Furthermore, despite the recommendation of the Pilling Report, the prohibition on blessing same‐sex couples is reinforced. While these iron exclusions are in place it is simply ludicrous to speak of the Church ‘Welcoming’ lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGB&TI) people, or to pretend that this statement is in any sense ‘pastoral’. Click here for the rest of the article: http://anglicanink.com/article/church-england-gay-lobby-appalled-bishops-gay-marriage-ban