Justine Greening, who is also Education Secretary, said churches and other religious groups should “keep up” with public opinion on same-sex marriage.
In an interview on Sky News, she described same-sex marriage as a “massive step forward for the better” and called for major faiths to “keep up with modern attitudes”.
“It is important that the church, in a way, keeps up and is part of a modern country,” she said. “We have allowed same-sex marriage, that’s a massive step forward for the better. And for me, I think people do want to see our major faiths keep up with modern attitudes.”
Her comments will be a cause of concern to faith leaders who are increasingly wary that the government’s “equalities” agenda may lead to a crackdown on religious freedom.