Senior sources in the Church of England are suggesting that a Law allowing full Marriage Equality could ultimately lead to a dis-establishment.
And pigs might fly!
The Times is carrying a story at the moment suggesting that Marriage Equality, an ideal now supported right across the political spectrum (if not the religious one) in the UK could lead to the relationship between Church and State suffering irreparable harm:
Senior church sources warned that if the legislation goes ahead as proposed, the only way forward will be to cut an important tie between Church and State. Divorcing the Church from its role as religious registrar for the State would not amount to total disestablishment, but it would be a significant step in that direction and would generate enormous passion and anguish from the pews upwards.
This is completely at odds with the previously stated position on the Church, to whit ... Marriage Equality will do no harm:
"We believe the Church has nothing to fear from... civil marriage for same-sex couples," it says.
"It will be for the churches to then decide how they respond pastorally."
A leading signatory of the letter is Dr Jeffrey John, the openly gay dean of St Albans, whose appointment as Bishop of Reading in 2003 was withdrawn after protests from conservative Anglicans.
It is also signed by the suffragan bishop of Buckingham and the deans of Portsmouth, Norwich and Guildford.
That article carried by the BBC as recently as April 21st this year.
Now let's be clear .... The UK Government, however slowly, and led by Conservatives, is moving towards full marriage equality. No civil partnerships (they already have those), no fudges or fixes ... no beating around the bush. Right across the political spectrum they are ready to end discrimination ... forever.
They are to be applauded for this, and encouraged to move faster.
If the Church of England, or any part of it tries to stand in the way, they will be steam-rollered out of the way. If they are stupid enough to attempt any form of split, they will simply lose. Period.
I'm not entirely sure they even CAN split. The Queen is Head of the Church of England. She is a Constitutional Monarch who has no political power, and does what the Government tells her to do. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual Head, and he is onboard ... and if he isn't he can be changed.
Bishops sit in the Upper Chamber of Government. They are prepared to give that up? Thought not.
Here is the thing though .... The Church is having a debate about this, and feelings are strong on both sides of the pew. It's a debate they need to have before they fall in line behind the rainbow tide, and if they don't then tough, no one will care much.
How different it all is to the US, where the issue has become a wedge issue and there is little debate of any kind, merely obstructionism, hostility and hate.
In the UK, senior Church Leaders are publicly saying that Marriage Equality is simply no threat to any other marriage, and Right wing politicians are supporting that view.
Maturity, introduce yourself to the United States, because you are a foreign concept.