A Vicar in Wales has quit the Church claiming his decision was prompted by homophobia within the religion.
Reverend Andrew Morton has decided to quit the Church over homophobia within the religious organisation especially relating to the current debate over same-sex marriages.
The coalition government is holding a public consultation on introducing civil marriages for gay and lesbian couples but it is an issue that has divided the Church.
The Catholic Church and the Church of England are officially opposed to the ideas but there are those within both organisations who are less hostile to the plans.
Other religious groups such as Quakers, Liberal Jews and Pagans have openly welcomed the plans though argue they should go further and allow religious gay marriages as well.
Reverend Andrew Morton has quit his position as Vicar of Llangybi in Monmouthshire due to the rise of homophobia relating to the same-sex debate.
Reverend Andrew Morton has quit his position as Vicar of Llangybi in Monmouthshire due to the rise of homophobia relating to the same-sex debate.
Morton is believed to be the first member of the clergy to have resigned over the issue but may not be the last.
The Church is divided on the issue and as the debate continues the spilt within the Church is likely to widen and become visible to the public.
Earlier last week Dr Rowan Williams, the departing Archbishop of Canterbury, claimed that the UK was becoming “fixated” on equal rights and that the obsession risked “fragmenting” the country.
Earlier last week Dr Rowan Williams, the departing Archbishop of Canterbury, claimed that the UK was becoming “fixated” on equal rights and that the obsession risked “fragmenting” the country.
Dr. Williams argued that the fixation on allowing gays, women and ethnic minorities equal rights was damaging society as a whole and warned the “pendulum” was swinging back the other way.