Finns quit church after gay marriage approval

Nearly 8,000 people in Finland have resigned from the Lutheran Church in protest against the parliament’s approval of a new law allowing same-sex marriages and against the archbishop’s support for the move.

Finland’s state broadcaster Yle said Sunday that some 7,800 people had resigned from the church via an online service since the law was approved two days earlier.

The resignations affect the church financially as those who are not registered are exempt from paying church taxes, the main source of revenue for the religious establishment.

According to the broadcaster, the main reason for the mass resignation was comments made by Archbishop of Finland Kari Mäkinen following the vote. The archbishop posted a Facebook message, saying he supported same-sex marriages and was “rejoiced” over the parliament’s decision.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen, who is also the leader of the Christian Democrats, said she would continue to fight against the new law, which allows gay marriages.

On November 28, the Finnish Parliament approved the law by a narrow margin of 105-92, giving gays in Finland the same marriage rights as heterosexuals.

The Nordic country became the 12th European nation to allow same-sex couples to marry. Several other European states, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Portugal, Norway, Spain, and Sweden have also authorized gay marriages.