Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.06.2007, Qupperneq 7

1_RVK_GV_08_007_OPINION
The last week of April, Lutheran ministers of the Na-
tional church of Iceland held their annual synod in
the town of Húsavík. The main issue on the table of
discussion this time was the partnership/marriage of
homosexuals. Very heated discussions took place among
the ministers during the synod. The synod voted on
a bill, which was presented with the joint signatures
of 42 ministers including two unordained theologians
advocating for unification of the traditional concept
of marriage – between a man and a woman – and
homosexual marriage into one concept regardless of
gender composition. The bill did not pass the voting
with the result of with 64 against, 22 for.
There were indeed many who could not join the
synod in Húsavík, and as the synod didn’t allow absentee
ballots, the number does not really reflect the accurate
percentage of for or against among ministers. But any-
way, headlines like “Church denies to marry gays” or
“Church loves (people) with conditions” danced on the
front page of many papers the next day.
In my recognition, these words are rather provoking
but do not convey the facts from the synod. But at the
same time it shows us the irritation and the feeling of
disappointment of general society against the indecisive
attitude of the church regarding the “gay-marriage”
issue.
I would like to spend some words here to explain
briefly what is happening in the church on this issue,
and to discuss my personal opinion afterwards. It would
be fair to say in advance that I am not at all neutral
in this debate. I am of the opinion that the concept
of “marriage” should be independent of the gender
composition. I am one of those 42 who brought the
bill that was rejected at the synod in Húsavík and I have
been expressing this opinion consistently for the last
five years.
Attitudes Among Ministers of
the National Church
What kinds of views exist about the gay partnership/
marriage issue in the church? Let’s briefly take a view
over the scenery.
A) The Bible prohibits homosexuality and therefore,
regardless whether if it is a sin or a kind of sickness,
homosexuality isn’t accepted by the Christian faith.
B) Homosexuals have the same rights as the other
‘straight’ people. They have a full right to live together
with their own life-partners and pursue a life of hap-
piness. Establishing the partnership belongs to civil
authorities and the church has no direct business with
it. But a minister should offer blessing, with his own
decision, onto those who wish to receive it on the oc-
casion of establishing their partnership.
C) Almost the same attitude as B. But the secular initia-
tion of the partnership should also be taken care of by
ministers the same as marriages of the other people.
D) The concept of marriage should be one, includ-
ing both relationships between men and women and
homosexual relationships.
Around the same period as Halldór Ásgrímsson, the
prime minister at that time, expressed his will to improve
the legal rights and status of gay people in the summer
of 2005, a special committee on behalf of the National
church, consisting of ministers, theologians and jurists
(the committee of dogmatics), was entrusted with
the assignment to write a report about “gay marriage
which is parallel to the traditional form of marriage
(partnership)”. At the synod in Keflavík in 2006, the
committee introduced its draft to the participants. The
draft clearly says on one hand that the committee has
come to the conclusion that the Bible does not condemn
homosexuality and this report should be estimated ap-
propriately on this point. On the other hand, the draft
is a report about the partnership of homosexuals and
does not directly address the question if it is desirable
to separate the partnership from traditional marriage
or if marriage should be a unified concept.
This report was the main topic of discussion at the
synod in Húsavík. Therefore many of the participants
were not really ready to vote for or against the proposal
of the unification of gay partnership and traditional
marriage. The majority at the synod agreed instead
that ministers are allowed to offer a blessing to gay
couples. A draft for a ritual of blessing was also agreed
on (attitude B). The proposal that ministers should take
care of the secular initiation of the partnership, not only
the blessing (attitude C), was directed back to the com-
mittee for further reporting. In addition to the above,
it would be necessary to point out that in Iceland the
legal initiation of matrimony is still in the hands of the
church, not only in the hands of the civil authorities.
In Iceland, unlike many countries in western Europe,
the minister’s declaration of marriage has a direct ef-
fect on the law to put two persons together. Namely
the religious acts and the civil laws are not completely
divided at this point. This makes it to some extent
complicated to handle gay marriage. Some people say
that marriage belongs to the unique authority of the
religious institute, and others put more emphasis on
the general human rights. The right answer seems to
me: both right. In order to avoid this confusion, some
ministers ask: “should the church transfer the author-
ity to establish matrimony to the civil authorities and
concentrate on its religious significance only?” This
opinion is not yet dominant among ministers, but it will
be unavoidable to face this question soon or later.
What is the Mission for the Church Now?
I have been trying to describe where the issue of gay
marriage has been located in the Icelandic church as
neutrally as I can, so that we can see what is happen-
ing in the church.
Looking over the world, the countries that have set
a concept of marriage that is independent of gender
composition are for example Holland, Belgium, Spain,
Canada and more, not yet hundreds of countries. Talk-
ing about the partnership act, then many European
countries and many states in the US are adapting it,
but these are from the standpoint of civil law.
Apart from independent free churches, there is no
denomination as of yet who recognises gay marriage
on equal terms with the traditional marriage without
any distinction (using one word marriage instead of
partnership). Obviously it is a very difficult task to
change the course from what it has been until now for
the religious authorities. The national church of Iceland
is no exception. In this sense, the Icelandic church is
no worse than other churches in the world.
Nevertheless it is not at all a Christian way to look
at oneself only in relationship with ones surroundings.
Because then you lose your identity in the relationship
between God and yourself, where your own call and
mission is revealed. This is something unique and you
cannot compare it with others.
In my opinion, the Icelandic church is in the best
position in the world to step forward and recognise
formally the unified marriage as a religious term. The
small size of the society where every single person can
be recognized as an individual, considerable mono-
cultural background, the absence of a big gap in reli-
gious values in the society, already well opened public
existence of gay people and the positive attitude of
the society towards them. All of those factors are to
the advantage for the Icelandic church to take one
step ahead of the rest of the world. But on the other
hand, it would be considered as cowardice if the church
wants hide itself behind other churches and doesn’t
use those advantages that are being given to it.
Of course people could ask: “though the surround-
ing conditions are ready, shouldn’t the church refrain
from doing something until the act will be confirmed to
be theologically right and Christian-faithful?” That is
quite right. But in my opinion, we have already crossed
the biggest hurdles both theologically and Christian-
faithfully. The majority in the church acknowledge,
as well as the majority in society, the presence of gay
people, their life as persons and their rights. The sup-
port to the partnership act show us that. Then why not
marriage? What is the reason that we have to separate
gay marriage as partnership from the traditional mar-
riage? Is there any theological reason really? Or is it
perhaps an emotional hindrance that makes it difficult
for us to accept it?
The churchly congress in October is supposed to
draw a temporary conclusion on the issue. We have
to work on it.
Toshiki Toma is the pastor of the National church of
Iceland for immigrants.
Don’t be Afraid, God is Guiding You!
Text by Toshiki Toma
What kinds of views exist about
the gay partnership/marriage
issue in the church? Let’s briefly
take a view over the scenery.
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