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Church of England accused of ‘muddled thinking’ over same-sex relationships

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby facing judicial review over his refusal to allow blessings for same-sex couples

Church of England’s stance on same-sex relationships branded ‘incoherent and illogical’ by campaigners

The Church of England is facing a judicial review over its refusal to allow blessings for same-sex couples, with campaigners accusing the church of “muddled thinking” on the issue. The legal challenge, which is being brought by the Good Law Project, argues that the church’s current stance is “incoherent and illogical” and that it is in breach of its own equality laws. The case is being brought on behalf of a number of same-sex couples who have been denied blessings by the church. One of the couples, Jayne Ozanne and Sophie Cook, said that they were “delighted” to be bringing the case. “We believe that the church’s current stance on same-sex relationships is unjust and discriminatory,” Ozanne said. “We hope that this legal challenge will help to bring about change and allow all couples to be treated equally by the church.” The Good Law Project’s director, Jo Maugham, said that the church’s current stance on same-sex relationships was “out of step with public opinion and with the values of equality and inclusion that the church espouses.” “We believe that the church has a legal duty to act in a way that is consistent with its own laws and with the law of the land,” Maugham said. “We hope that this legal challenge will help to bring about change and allow all couples to be treated equally by the church.” The Church of England has defended its stance on same-sex relationships, saying that it is based on the Bible’s teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman. The church has also said that it is committed to welcoming and including LGBT people in its churches. However, it has said that it does not believe that it is right to bless same-sex couples because it would be a departure from the church’s traditional understanding of marriage. The judicial review is due to be heard in the High Court in London later this year.