The government is about to issue a consultation paper on proposed changes to the legal definition of marriage so as to open the institution of marriage to same-sex partnerships.
Why?
Who wants this?
Who among the population of the UK, is clamoring for this?
Why is the government pushing this unnecessary legislation at a time when their major focus should be on economic issues?
In 2004 the Labour Government brought into law, the concept of Civil Partnerships. We were told at this time, that it was only right that those homosexual couples that wanted to, should be able to become legally joined and could then share the same legal rights as were enjoyed by married heterosexual couples. One of the main arguments put forward surrounded the inequality that was seen for homosexual couples where, when one died, the surviving partner, could not inherit in the same manner as a surviving partner from a civil marriage.
This Civil Partnership act changed that and gave equal rights to those homosexuals that made that legal commitment to each other. So why is further change required?
The danger with the current proposals, apart from them causing a distraction from the major issues facing this country (maybe that is the point?), is that government is entering into an arena that brings it into direct conflict with religious organizations and with the fundamental nature of what marriage is and the 'right' of politicians to re-define marriage.
I am not talking about civil marriage. That is recognized by all Christian churches and (excuse my ignorance if I am wrong,) by all other religious/faith organizations. I am talking about enshrining in UK law, the concept that marriage is no longer the sole preserve of the union between a man and a woman. In the recent letter from the Catholic Bishops Conference, marriage is described as an institution that is at the foundation of our society and married couples as the source and guardians of the next generation.
So who is pushing for this legislation? The homosexual 'community' is reckoned to be less than 6% of the UK population. If, for a moment we made the assumption that all of this 'community' were in favour of so called 'gay' marriage, that would still represent a very small minority.
If legislation was to be about pandering to 'the people' - how about listening to the widely held views on the UK withdrawal from the EU? What about pandering to the Capital Punishment lobby. I would suspect that a significantly greater portion of the population would support such legislation, IF THEY WERE ASKED!
But they won't be asked. And when MPs come to vote on the issue they will be ever-mindful of the media hate campaign that will be ranged against all opponents of this legislation. MPs and commentators, who oppose the legislation (including this blogger) will be called homophobic and painted as reactionary and such.
I have mentioned earlier, why is this an issue that is being addressed (at all) and why now? The focus of this government should be to promote economic growth, extricate the country from the mire of debt, into which we are sinking and, in my view, develop a way of government that is far less intrusive in the lives of the people of the UK.
I urge you to consider the dangers posed by this legislation and ask you to sign the petition at
www.C4M.org.uk
Why?
Who wants this?
Who among the population of the UK, is clamoring for this?
Why is the government pushing this unnecessary legislation at a time when their major focus should be on economic issues?
In 2004 the Labour Government brought into law, the concept of Civil Partnerships. We were told at this time, that it was only right that those homosexual couples that wanted to, should be able to become legally joined and could then share the same legal rights as were enjoyed by married heterosexual couples. One of the main arguments put forward surrounded the inequality that was seen for homosexual couples where, when one died, the surviving partner, could not inherit in the same manner as a surviving partner from a civil marriage.
This Civil Partnership act changed that and gave equal rights to those homosexuals that made that legal commitment to each other. So why is further change required?
The danger with the current proposals, apart from them causing a distraction from the major issues facing this country (maybe that is the point?), is that government is entering into an arena that brings it into direct conflict with religious organizations and with the fundamental nature of what marriage is and the 'right' of politicians to re-define marriage.
I am not talking about civil marriage. That is recognized by all Christian churches and (excuse my ignorance if I am wrong,) by all other religious/faith organizations. I am talking about enshrining in UK law, the concept that marriage is no longer the sole preserve of the union between a man and a woman. In the recent letter from the Catholic Bishops Conference, marriage is described as an institution that is at the foundation of our society and married couples as the source and guardians of the next generation.
So who is pushing for this legislation? The homosexual 'community' is reckoned to be less than 6% of the UK population. If, for a moment we made the assumption that all of this 'community' were in favour of so called 'gay' marriage, that would still represent a very small minority.
If legislation was to be about pandering to 'the people' - how about listening to the widely held views on the UK withdrawal from the EU? What about pandering to the Capital Punishment lobby. I would suspect that a significantly greater portion of the population would support such legislation, IF THEY WERE ASKED!
But they won't be asked. And when MPs come to vote on the issue they will be ever-mindful of the media hate campaign that will be ranged against all opponents of this legislation. MPs and commentators, who oppose the legislation (including this blogger) will be called homophobic and painted as reactionary and such.
I have mentioned earlier, why is this an issue that is being addressed (at all) and why now? The focus of this government should be to promote economic growth, extricate the country from the mire of debt, into which we are sinking and, in my view, develop a way of government that is far less intrusive in the lives of the people of the UK.
I urge you to consider the dangers posed by this legislation and ask you to sign the petition at
www.C4M.org.uk
