They want to have their cake and eat it.

@jshm2 His government approves of same sex marriages so his church should conduct them.

Why do christians always have to resort to insults? Can't you make your point in a civilized manner?

@jshm2 The Episcopal church is the U.S. version of the Anglican church, and it not only allows same-sex marriage, it allows gay pastors. Gene Robinson was a gay Episcopal pastor who was married to another man.

If you don't like a church's stance on same-sex marriage, you're free to join another church more to your liking. Over here we also have the Westboro Baptist Church, which is organized around nothing but hatred of gay people.

@LeopoldBloom I object to the fact that the CoE holds a privileged position as the official state church but refuses to implement government policy. If it wants the freedom to make its own rules it should give up its privileged position.

@Lynda70 Good point. If it wants the authority of being the official government religion, it should follow the government's dictates.

It's interesting to contrast the differences between the U.S., which at least nominally has separation of church and state, and the many European countries that have official state churches. While religious participation in the US is declining, it's still way above what you find in Europe. This may be because the best way to destroy a religion is to turn it into another boring government bureaucracy.