Wednesday, January 24, 2007

A Headline I Never Expected to Read

Anglicans Oppose Gay Adoption

The Church of England has joined with the Catholic Church in Britain over a battle regarding gay adoptions.

On Tuesday, Roman Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor wrote to the British Cabinet and stated that the Catholic Church could not agree to a law that forces its adoption agencies to place children with gay couples.

According to the Times of London, the Anglican archbishops of Canterbury and York agreed later in the day, saying in a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair that "rights of conscience cannot be made subject to legislation.”

[…] The Anglican letter, written by Archbishops Rowan Williams and John Sentamu, raises the specter of an argument over whether someone with strong religous beliefs can serve in the government.

[…] The archbishops say exempting church adoption agencies from the law would be similar to doctors who work for the National Health Service who can refuse to perform abortions.

Interestingly, the article does not say that the good Archbishops are opposed to gay adoptions, but rather they are opposed to interfering with the “rights of conscience.” Of course, rights of conscience are interfered with all the time. In the “free” USA, a pharmacist can be required to dispense emergency contraceptives against his conscience. Get together with some friends before the High School football game to pray for the players, and you might find yourselves asked to leave.

Still, like I’ve said many times before, when pigs fly, we should be properly thankful for the experience, not complain when they crash.