As the C of E is accused of a marriage “fudge”, an ex-CIA analyst warns of anti-marriage ideology taking over institutions
Totalitarian tactics are being used to push anti-marriage ideology today, according to a former US CIA analyst.
Stella Morabito spent ten years studying the propaganda tactics of totalitarian regimes and says the same techniques are being used to push anti-marriage ideology today.
This comes as the Church of England has been accused of fudging the issue of same-sex blessings in church.
Ms Morabito believes that “progressive ideology” is “taking over all institutions”. She says there is a “demonisation campaign” to censor anyone who “has a different opinion about marriage”.
The Coalition for Marriage, that campaigns for traditional marital relationships, recently interviewed Ms Morabito, shortly before the C of E published ‘blessing’ prayers for same-sex relationships. These are seen by evangelicals as following the state’s laws rather than God’s. Ms Morabito confirms this is a slippery slope to state control, with children ultimately suffering.
When a state abolishes its recognition of marriage, she claims, “it really doesn’t have to respect your biological relationships” either, giving the state “ultimate control of domestic partnerships and educating children”.
Writing in The Federalist, Ms Morabito said: “Much groundwork has… been laid by surrogacy and abortion laws that treat children as chattels to buy, sell, and dispose of at will. And why would the state have to recognise any other relationships resulting from marriage if it no longer recognises marriage? It could ignore your blood relationships to brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or any familial bond. In this scenario, you’d likely need a licence to raise your own child, an old communist goal that the so-called Respect for Marriage Act [in the US] conjures up.”
She added: “[We live] in a nation that increasingly promotes infanticide, assisted suicide, recreational drug use, child pornography, and other ways to torture and kill our children. In fact, virtually all of their policy positions are tailor-made for family breakdown, community breakdown, and for hostility toward religious communities.”
The breakdown of family life has been much documented in recent decades and Ms Morabito asserts that family acts as a “crucial buffer between the mass state and the individual”.
Her new book, ‘The Weaponisation of Loneliness’, exposes the “divide-and-conquer tactics” used by the state, the media and technology companies, in order to “atomise” and “control” citizens. She says: “Tyrants absolutely need to isolate people in order to control them.”
And a cowed population tends to comply: “Our fear of social rejection [is] so hardwired that [it] triggers our conformity impulse” and can “even cause us to comply with evil orders”
US redefines marriage
With President Biden’s enthusiastic signature, the US ‘Respect For Marriage’ Act has officially rejected the Bible’s view of marriage. It repeals the ‘Defence of Marriage’ Act, which established a federal definition of marriage as a “legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife”, and, instead, recognises marriage regardless of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.
“This shows that our nation is veering off a cliff toward godless immorality,” said Jenna Ellis, a vocal Christian and Constitutional Law Attorney. She was especially shocked that 39 Republicans in Congress and 12 in the Senate had voted for the Act.
The “silver lining,” Ms Ellis declared, “is that the (Dis) Respect For Marriage Act is plainly unconstitutional, and therefore, it opens itself up to being challenged by Religious Freedom legal centres such as Alliance Defending Freedom.”
Jack Hibbs, Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills, called on pastors to take a stand over the issue. “The voice that people need to hear is the Bible. We need pastors to realise this is the last ditch effort.” He added: “The men in the pulpit must get on their face, seek out God, and get their marching orders. That’s the only hope for America right now.”
Church of England’s “fudge” over marriage
The Church of England has been accused of a “fudge” over its announcement that, while not recognising same-sex ‘marriage’, it will allow prayers of blessing to affirm “stable, loving relationships” – the Archbishop of York’s term.
The state Church has been under pressure since David Cameron’s government legislated for same sex ‘marriage’ in 2013. Even the leader of the Commons, Penny Mordaunt, whose twin brother calls himself gay, wrote to the Bishop of Portsmouth urging him to support a change in the Church’s doctrine.
But after five years of consultation, the Church’s teaching that holy matrimony is only between one man and one woman will not change and will not be put to a vote at the General Synod. It meets from 6-9 February, and the proximity to Valentine’s Day will not be lost on its critics. However, “prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God’s blessing” on same-sex couples will be offered following a civil marriage or partnership, to the deep concern of many evangelicals.
Peter Lynas, UK Director at the Evangelical Alliance, told Premier: “If you aren’t changing the doctrine on the one hand, but then you’re going to bless something that you don’t recognise and are asking for God’s blessing on it, that’s really difficult. Ultimately, there isn’t a clear conclusion and nobody seems to be happy. We have a bit of a fudge, a little bit for everybody.”
“Imagine what will happen once same-sex couples are waging local campaigns against vicars for refusing to bless them”
Christian Concern’s chief executive Andrea Williams, who served on the church’s General Synod for ten years, has called the compromise “an unworkable mess that will please no one.” She commented: “The report says that prayers for blessing simply ask that God would cause people to flourish and walk in God’s ways – and that they do not indicate approval. Yet these prayers are deliberately designed to be used to celebrate unions or partnerships that defy and parody God’s pattern for marriage. On paper, they may celebrate friendship as between David and Jonathan, or Ruth and Naomi; but in practice they celebrate romantic, sexual relationships that defy God and his call to holiness.”
She warned that vicars will be pressured to conduct church blessings for same-sex couples: “Faithful ministers and chaplains have already been put through crippling complaints procedures and even lost their jobs for holding to what the Bible says. Imagine what will happen once same-sex couples are waging local campaigns against vicars for refusing to bless them.”
Just 1.5% say they’re gay
The Coalition for Marriage reports that the official number of people identifying as gay or lesbian is just 1.5 per cent in England and Wales, while a further 1.5 per cent identify as “bisexual” or “pansexual”, according to the 2021 Census.
One theory as to why a small proportion of the population exercises… “an outsize influence over public policy” is that 7.5 per cent of residents in the City of London identify as gay or lesbian – over five times the national average.
How Storm met Morgan
When Morgan Green first set eyes on Storm Cecile, he was playing the guitar at a conference. Watching Storm leading prayer there, he thought to himself, “What a great woman of God! I don’t know what God has done for her, but it’s a lot.”
Morgan is a musician, so it was natural for him to get involved with the street evangelism that Storm, who calls herself a commercial spoken word artist, was starting. Storm came from a single parent family and realised the reality of death when her brother nearly died in a car accident.
Morgan knew he liked Storm the second time they met, but Storm says, “I just thought he was a nice guy!”
Morgan first asked her out on a park bench in Stratford in early September 2020, but she said no: “I didn’t like him at the time!”Only after initially rejecting Morgan did Storm start to be interested in him.
“He then asked me out again on 31 October and I said yes. On this occasion, he wrote me a very cute letter and then gave me a huge hug when I said yes.”
Seven months later on 20 May 2021 they got engaged and then married on 4 September: “It was a quick turnaround!” says Storm.
Now the couple, both 24, head a team of 30 volunteers in Storm’s Christian Busking Project. Storm says: “Ministering with my husband on the streets is special because we both have different gifts to glorify God. Also, we have a great synergy; I know where and what Morgan is about to play and Morgan knows what I’m about to sing/ proclaim: it’s both prophetic and powerful at the same time.
Resources from our Partner Pastors
Marriage: A booklet by Pastor Les Potter, written with his wife Joan, is available, along with his healing booklet, from the address on p15, or email urcf@aol.com
Divorce and remarriage
One of HEART’s partner pastors has started a series of messages on this sensitive subject, with the central tenet that Scripture should be interpreted theologically, biblically and pastorally. The Church can be seen as hard-hearted on this issue and miss God’s premise that avoiding divorce, like avoiding sin, is God’s intention for mankind rather than his prescription. Email sermons.thekingschurcharundel@gmail.com for the 15 and 22 January messages
“Male and female He created them” – Genesis 1v27b
