Church blind spot (From York Press)

Church blind spot

11:54am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Letters

I WAS pleased to attend Thursday’s protest in support of gay marriage outside the Minster (News, Letters, February 2) and to take part in such a young, vibrant, good-natured demonstration.

Well done to the Students Union for their organisation.

It’s a great pity that this should have been induced by Archbishop Sentamu’s remarks.

Many of us know and respect Dr John Sentamu as a strong, progressive voice in our community and internationally for social inclusion and human rights, and against racism; not to mention his extraordinary courage in earlier life in standing up to the brutal regime of Idi Amin, and more recently that of Robert Mugabe.

Sadly the rights of gay people seem to remain something of a blind spot for the Church hierarchy, a curious exclusion that seems to reflect reactionary social attitudes more than anything in the Gospels.

There are many gay couples who would like, simply, to seal their love and commitment with marriage, and its rights and responsibilities. How can that harm anyone? Why on earth should they be refused that simple choice?

Ben Drake, Fulford, York.

• JOHN WESTWOOD-HILL (Letters, February 2) asks us whether we can see the difference between “my husband” and “my partner”. Yes, we certainly can.

For a man to talk about his husband or a woman about her wife requires a substantial change to the English language. Surely this is exactly the point the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, was making with regard to the use of the term “marriage”.

Jean Frost, Heworth, York.

• AS A black man, the Archbishop of York should appreciate more than most the meaning of prejudice. Yet in the name of religion he appears to be prepared to peddle it.

In the eyes of Christ, we are all equal but apparently only if you are a straight man or woman.

After reaching the conclusion that only straight people should be afforded the right to marry, the only reason he could find to justify it was that it would be dictatorial of politicians to change the status quo. What a thin excuse.

Many of us believe Christianity has had its day as a means of controlling the population and such pronouncements will only hasten its demise.

We are a happily married loving couple, under the civil partnership law. If traditional marriage was made available to us, we may or may not take the opportunity, but we should have the same right as everyone else.

Angus King and Ian Leatham, York.