With our wedding coming up in August next year (a long way away I know, but still; never too early to plan) Mel and I decided we should start looking for a nice church for our ceremony. We found out about this really nice Anglican church in Parramatta, and decided to attend one of their services.
Perhaps we should've seen it as a sign when shortly after the service started, they had decided to settle on the passage of the bible which stated "homosexuals will not inhabit the kingdom of god".
So here we were thinking: "well, perhaps it's just bad luck we had to come on a day where they reiterated the fact that some of our friends are going to burn in hell?". I mean, this is only mentioned in a bible a small number of times... what are the odds right? Willing to give the church the benefit of the doubt we decided to meet with the guy who was responsible for booking and organising wedding ceremonies in the church.
After a 30 minute meeting it was made clear that if we were to get married at the church we would need to give back a bit to the church (on top of the obvious financial contribution which was made clear in the beginning of the meeting). they explained that it would be appreciated (not mandatory) that we would attend as many services as we could in the lead up to our wedding, and attend a couple of courses on marriage and all that stuff. I did not mind doing any of this. I am not a super religious person... in fact I can't even remember the last time I went to church, but for my marriage I am willing to do what it takes to keep everybody happy... even the big man himself.
At the end of all this, we were given an application form where we had to fill in various details such as our names, date of wedding, etc. Pretty standard stuff. But on the 2nd page of the application form came the the more interesting questions: Who do you think Jesus was? Why is the church so important? All sorts of questions like this. Once again, we did not mind answering them, and thought we did well (I mean, it's not as if we said that Jesus was a famous basketball player or anything like that).
Then, about 5 days later we get a letter in the mail: "Sorry, your application for a marriage ceremony in our church has been denied".
I was like WTF!? How does someone get denied from marrying in a church when both are Christians!? Especially an Anglican church, the apparently "most accepting" of all Christian faiths? We just had to laugh at the fact that for the first time in years we decided to try going to church again, and shortly after being told out friends will burn in hell, that we are not fit enough to get married in the eyes of their god.
Now we know why more and more people are deciding to have garden or beach ceremonies, or turn away from the church sompletely. What a bunch of self-righteous tools!!
Anyway, thought I would share, because after the initial upset, I thought it was actually quite a funny story. I will also advise people to stay away from us... we might just turn you all to stone, apparently.
-Cub. =o)
Perhaps we should've seen it as a sign when shortly after the service started, they had decided to settle on the passage of the bible which stated "homosexuals will not inhabit the kingdom of god".
So here we were thinking: "well, perhaps it's just bad luck we had to come on a day where they reiterated the fact that some of our friends are going to burn in hell?". I mean, this is only mentioned in a bible a small number of times... what are the odds right? Willing to give the church the benefit of the doubt we decided to meet with the guy who was responsible for booking and organising wedding ceremonies in the church.
After a 30 minute meeting it was made clear that if we were to get married at the church we would need to give back a bit to the church (on top of the obvious financial contribution which was made clear in the beginning of the meeting). they explained that it would be appreciated (not mandatory) that we would attend as many services as we could in the lead up to our wedding, and attend a couple of courses on marriage and all that stuff. I did not mind doing any of this. I am not a super religious person... in fact I can't even remember the last time I went to church, but for my marriage I am willing to do what it takes to keep everybody happy... even the big man himself.
At the end of all this, we were given an application form where we had to fill in various details such as our names, date of wedding, etc. Pretty standard stuff. But on the 2nd page of the application form came the the more interesting questions: Who do you think Jesus was? Why is the church so important? All sorts of questions like this. Once again, we did not mind answering them, and thought we did well (I mean, it's not as if we said that Jesus was a famous basketball player or anything like that).
Then, about 5 days later we get a letter in the mail: "Sorry, your application for a marriage ceremony in our church has been denied".
I was like WTF!? How does someone get denied from marrying in a church when both are Christians!? Especially an Anglican church, the apparently "most accepting" of all Christian faiths? We just had to laugh at the fact that for the first time in years we decided to try going to church again, and shortly after being told out friends will burn in hell, that we are not fit enough to get married in the eyes of their god.
Now we know why more and more people are deciding to have garden or beach ceremonies, or turn away from the church sompletely. What a bunch of self-righteous tools!!
Anyway, thought I would share, because after the initial upset, I thought it was actually quite a funny story. I will also advise people to stay away from us... we might just turn you all to stone, apparently.
-Cub. =o)
geez, sorry that didn't work out for you. Are you looking at other churches for your wedding, or are you going to try the beach? 
Or are you going to Vegas?!
Or are you going to Vegas?!
I gots a webcomic! http://yetanothercomic.com
Wow. That sounds like when my wife and I got married. She's Catholic and I'm Episcopal. Her family insisted we get married at a Catholic church and she was required to become a contributing member and make $x in contributions before our application for a wedding would be approved. The priest was also not very pleased that I was Episcopal, but I think we paid the church enough that he let it slide.
We go to the Episcopal church now. While the Epsicopal church is the official branch of the Anglican church in America, I think we're probably more liberal on some issues. I know that when we ordained an openly gay bishop a sect of the church broke off and became the American Anglican church, which I think operates under the Nigerian Anglican church.
Anyway, I am sorry that you had this experience. I suppose any church has the right to determine who it will and won't marry, but I would hope that some would be more welcoming than this.
If you decide that you want to get married in Gainesville, Georgia (and, really, who wouldn't?), I'll put in a good word for you with my church.
We go to the Episcopal church now. While the Epsicopal church is the official branch of the Anglican church in America, I think we're probably more liberal on some issues. I know that when we ordained an openly gay bishop a sect of the church broke off and became the American Anglican church, which I think operates under the Nigerian Anglican church.
Anyway, I am sorry that you had this experience. I suppose any church has the right to determine who it will and won't marry, but I would hope that some would be more welcoming than this.
If you decide that you want to get married in Gainesville, Georgia (and, really, who wouldn't?), I'll put in a good word for you with my church.
well cub I actually remember going to this tiny little anglican church out the back of rossmore (near liverpool) and was told the same thing. Well I came home & said stuff that. We had a garden wedding at a country function venue which had beautiful lawns & manicured gardens & used a marriage celebrant.It must add the Presbyterian Church was much more liberal & you didn't have to go through that crap.
I wonder if it was the st.john church at parra, ha ha
Lynne
tex murphy is back in town
tex murphy is back in town
How rude! We decided to be pagans and got married on a cruise ship. We invited a few family members to come to the wedding ceremony and when it was done, we kicked them off the ship, and started our honeymoon cruise.
Go get married someplace beautiful on the coastline.
Go get married someplace beautiful on the coastline.
Samantha
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
How mad. Sorry to hear that. Our church vicar is a bit like that - a lady who has her funny quirks in how things are done. She recently declined one of my wife's cousins just because she doesn't know her but didn't realise that all the rest of the family have been married at that church (she's only been there a few years).
It's crazy how they can do that to you though - I bet they had the date free too!
It's crazy how they can do that to you though - I bet they had the date free too!
David
my summary on why Christianity is pretty fucked up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifgHHhw_6g8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBqe5xvY ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JKvJaJK ... re=related
^should point out that I am a catholic (and not proud of it).
I hope that made you laugh cub.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifgHHhw_6g8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBqe5xvY ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JKvJaJK ... re=related
^should point out that I am a catholic (and not proud of it).
I hope that made you laugh cub.
Get Married on Watership Down! http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZjx4yVafso/T ... p_Down.gif
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZjx4yVafso/T ... p_Down.gifAWESOME IDEA!Igloop wrote:Get Married on Watership Down!
-Cub. =o)
I go to Episcopal (American Anglican) church, and the way it is here, you can get a same sex union in places where the churches in that area has approved it. So you can't here in Louisiana, but you can in some other states. But it's probably not easy.
Maybe there's another church that will say yes? But really, even though we're Christians and all, the next time you get rejected I think it's totally OK to tell them to EAT A DICK
Maybe there's another church that will say yes? But really, even though we're Christians and all, the next time you get rejected I think it's totally OK to tell them to EAT A DICK
Good to hear so many people who think the same about it as I do.
I am actually glad now they said no because by the sounds of them, why on earth would we want to get married there anyway? Having to fill in a 3 page questionnaire just to prove to them we know who Jesus was is just absurd in my opinion, and I should've just handed back a blank form and simply said "well, if you need it on paper then obviously you are passing out judgement on the answers, which last time I heard was not really endorsed by the bible".
-Cub. =o)
I am actually glad now they said no because by the sounds of them, why on earth would we want to get married there anyway? Having to fill in a 3 page questionnaire just to prove to them we know who Jesus was is just absurd in my opinion, and I should've just handed back a blank form and simply said "well, if you need it on paper then obviously you are passing out judgement on the answers, which last time I heard was not really endorsed by the bible".
-Cub. =o)