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Traditionalists fear clergy could be taken to court and accused of discrimination if they reject requests to hold civil partnership ceremonies or "gay marriages" on religious premises. This would apply to churches, mosques and synagogues. The warning follows a landmark vote by peers in the House of Lords that would allow the ceremonies to be held in all places of worship. What would you and the priests under your jurisdiction do if you were asked to marry homosexual and lesbian couples? - Clare

 
 

 
 

Our position remains unaltered. It will not happen. Nothing could prevail upon us to go against scripture on this matter. Under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, homosexual couples are allowed to hold civil partnership ceremonies in register offices and approved venues such as stately homes and hotels, but they were banned from doing so in churches while the events were not allowed to be religious in character. In the amendment to Harriet Harman’s controversial Equality Bill tabled by Lord Alli late on Monday night, the ban on religious premises was lifted. It was passed on a free vote by 95 to 21, with only two of the bishops – the Lords Spiritual – taking part. The amendment stated: “For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Act places an obligation on religious organisations to host civil partnerships if they do not wish to do so.” But the fear is that the protection from discrimination in the "provision of goods or services" guaranteed in the Equality Bill will mean that homosexuals could take legal action against clergy who refused to hold the ceremonies in their church. 

 

 

Waheed Alli aka "Baron" Alli, pictured above, whose amendment to the Equality Bill in effect amends the Civil Partnership Act, making it legal under secular law for churches to celebrate civil partnerships and "marry" homosexual and lesbian couples. Alli is a multi-millionaire media entrepreneur and politician who sits in the House of Lords as Labour Peer "Lord" Alli. Born in 1964 of Indo-Caribbean parents, Waheed Alli is openly homosexual and also a Muslim. He has used, some might say abused, his political position to further "gay rights" and constantly campaign on behalf of homosexual causes. 

 

The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Rev David James, warned during the debate of the “unintended consequences” of this amendment. He said that although it was being presented to “simply be an available option” to some religious groups, he was “not so confident” that it would remain so. The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, said: “I believe it will open, not the Church of England, but individual clergy, to charges of discrimination.” Lord Waddington, the former Home Secretary, said a clergyman “prepared to register marriages but not to register civil partnerships would be accused of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of services.” The vote was nonetheless welcomed by equality campaigners such as Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, the joint chairman of the Rabbinic Conference of Liberal Judaism, who said his community was “looking forward to being able to celebrate its first ever Jewish spiritual blessing together with the English legal ceremony.” Quakers and Unitarians predictably also intend to hold homosexual and lesbian "marriage" ceremonies on their premises. 

 

My clergy and I seek the repeal of the Sexual Offences Act of 1967 which enacted recommendations that allowed for the first time in Great Britain homosexual acts and sodomitical practices between consenting males and married couples. Hitherto it had been a criminal offence for either heterosexuals or homosexuals to engage in sodomy. An amendment in 2000 reduced the age restriction to sixteen. Waheed Alli played no small part in that appalling decision. I and my clergy, therefore, would like to restore the status quo to how it was prior to 1967. We shall add our weight to any Christian group campaigning in that regard, ie for the restoration of traditional family values with morals based on the New Testament.

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Do you have any sympathy or affiliation towards any Party? - Anthony Hogg, Australia.
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I have at no time owed political affiliation to any party. The only time I stood as a candidate in the political process was as an independent for the preservation of a woodland cemetery. This did not involve party politics; though I was supported at the time by the then Ecology Party and individuals in some other parties. My various campaigns have attracted people from all parts of the political spectrum and none. I have personally known people, even leaders, at both extremes of party politics and quite a few in the middle. All attempts to involve me in party politics in the past have failed. I have absolutely no faith in the political system and suspect I would be found unacceptable to most parties making an approach today as my allegiance is not to Caesar but to God. Moreover, I would not want to be acceptable to those who are driven by power and corruption.

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Hello Bishop. I would like to ask you if you ever encountered a psychic vampire. I heard that unlike the traditional vampire, which is a re-animated dead corpse, the psychic vampire is a living person that can steal another person's energy. - Ruben

Individuals who seem to drain the energy of those around them have probably been experienced by many people, myself included, but here we are employing the word "vampire" as an adjective.

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Experiencing such energy-drainers is nowhere near the same as a predatory demonic entity masquerading as a dead person; though I recall an old lady who ran an antiquarian bookshop in north London many years ago telling me about her encounter with Aleister Crowley as he passed her on the shop's stairs and how she immediately felt faint and nauseous. Was this Crowley draining her of energy? Or was it his extraordinary notoriety effecting how she felt? She claimed the former. I suspect the latter. But we will never know.

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So-called "psychic vampires," or "psi-vampyres" as they sometimes like to call themselves, claim to lack an adequate energy system, and this inadequacy compels them to feed upon and tap into the energy and vitality of other unsuspecting host victims. This allegedly results in a temporary surge of energy in the "psychic vampire" and a serious loss of physical and mental energy for the "prey."

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Victims attacked by "psychic vampires" have reported to have felt depleted both mentally and emotionally. The more unfortunate victims suffer from a prolonged loss of energy and permanent damage to their general health and vitality. In certain severe cases it is claimed the prey might even suffer from very serious illness after having such an encounter. I cannot say I have witnessed anything of this sort. That notwithstanding, I have been aware of a small number of people who appear to be draining on one's energy when in their presence. Yet I suspect we have all experienced this at some time without necessarily attributing it to "psychic vampirism."

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And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away..

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Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising.

Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side.

Then shalt thou see, and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee.

The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense: and shewing forth praise to the Lord.

When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem,

Saying: Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him.

And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.

But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it is written by the prophet:

And thou Bethlehem the land of Judea art not the least among the princes of Judea: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, privately calling the wise men learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them;

And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him.

Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the East, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was.

And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him: and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country.

(Matthew 2: 1-12)

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Some of the Christmas Trees at the Retreat ~ 2009

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