Politics
Tuesday November 18, 2008
Leftist Party in Sweden Proposes to Force Christian Pastors to Perform Homosexual 'Weddings'
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Jonquil Frankham
SWEDEN, November 18, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Sweden’s Left Party, which holds 22 out of 349 parliamentary seats, is advocating legislation that will force pastors to perform homosexual “marriages,” should homosexual "marriage" be legalized in the country.
Sweden’s coalition government is currently in negotiations over a new marriage law. Under the proposal, Swedish pastors and other officials will be permitted to refuse to perform "marriages" for homosexual couples. Lars Ohly, leader of the Left Party, however, has said that this arrangement is unacceptable.
“In the long run it’s inappropriate to allow discrimination like this. We don’t think that someone should be allowed to refuse to wed same-sex couples,” said Ohly.
Current Swedish law does not permit homosexual coupes to have church “weddings,” but does permit so-called “civil unions.” So far, the Christian Democrat Party, which forms part of the coalition government, has held firm in opposition to a gender-neutral marriage law.
The parties composing the coalition government, with the exception of the Christian Democrats, will table their marriage bill shortly. Should the legislation be passed, same-sex “marriage” would be permitted in Sweden beginning May 2009.
According to Sweden’s The Local, the Lutheran Church in Sweden will bless civil unions between homosexuals, though it will not call these unions “marriages.” Under Ohly’s proposal, a pastor or official who refused to “marry” a homosexual couple could have his right to perform weddings removed entirely.
For more on this issue, see:
Left Party: 'force pastors to perform gay weddings'
http://www.thelocal.se/15612/20081111/
Government remains divided over same-sex marriage
http://www.thelocal.se/15484/20081105/
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Sweden Considers "Gender Neutral Marriage" Law
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08110610.html
Sweden Mulls Law Allowing Gay-Marriage in Civil and Religious Ceremonies
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07070307.html
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 - 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Saturday
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 218 to 215
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.