Posted on 02/04/2014 8:57:07 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Tonight Scotland became the 11th jurisdiction in the European Union and the 17th in the world to create gay “marriage” in a vote at Holyroodhouse of 105-18. This leaves only Northern Ireland as the last jurisdiction in the United Kingdom to retain the traditional legal definition of marriage between one man and one woman.
Health Secretary Alex Neil said he expected the first “gay marriages” could take place this autumn. “We’re doing a remarkable thing today, we are saying on behalf of Scotland to the world, loud and clear that we believe in recognizing love between same sex couples as we do between opposite sex couples,” he said.
Neil reiterated that clergy celebrants of marriage ceremonies who could not in conscience participate would be protected by the “safeguards,” but the legislation does not mention the rights of non-clerical citizens. The Church of Scotland, a Presbyterian denomination that represents the majority of Scotland’s Christian believers, said in September that it might simply give up officiating at marriages should the legislation pass.
At the time of the vote, 54,000 people had signed a petition asking the government to drop the idea. A spokesman for the marriage campaign group Scotland for Marriage said the petition was submitted to the government with the addresses of signatories removed out of fears of discrimination. Redacting these details was “an absolute necessity to protect the rights and freedoms of ordinary men and women with traditional views on marriage which are under threat,” the Christian Institute reports.
“We really are facing the prospect of people being discriminated against in their own homes, at work and at schools if this Bill progresses in its present form,” the Scotland for Marriage spokesman added.
Scotland for Marriage had asked for amendments to the bill to protect not only clergy from having to participate, but also ordinary citizens who might be caught in a conflict between the law and their conscience, including civil marriage registrars and marriage counselors. The group had also called for a public referendum on the issue.
Campaigners threatened MSPs who supported the bill, saying they would lose their seats in the next election cycle. This prediction has come early for one Tory MSP, who voted for the bill tonight and has already been “de-selected” by his local party riding association in South Suffolk. Tim Yeo, a former Conservative minister and an MP for 30 years, lost a secret vote that polled 600 Tory members.
Why do MSPs wear kilts?
Because the voters can hear zippers.
Not very Puritan A new Scotland it seems.
Scotland and New England, which used to be very Christian...
Yes indeed. I personally support letting guys shack up together in the privacy of their homes. And fir them to be protected as equal citizens. But fir the state to sanction such pairing as “marriages “ is wrong from both a factual and public policy basis, methinks. (And of course religiously too ). Bad message about truth, as if there were any of that left in our government today anyway . Bad message to children.
Marriage is not about love.
I’m no neanderthal, and understand that cultures are subject to change, but I cant get over how sweeping the ‘acceptance’ of gay marriage has become, and not just in America, Great Britain or the Netherlands. Maybe what looks like acceptance is actually a forced corporate tolerance, because anything other than an expression of tolerance and inclusivity would subject an employer or business owner to lawsuits. Maybe that’s what really going on. I still think too much is being demanded too soon, and will lead to personal rebellion and noncompliance. I’m most troubled that individual religious rules are being disregarded and stomped all over by the New Intolerant. The desire to secede still burns within many of us for different reasons.
He's certainly right about that.
The Death Of The West heading inexorably into hell .
They were convinced following testimony from Ireland’s first married gay couple: Gerald Fitzpatrick and Patrick Fitzgerald.
It IS remarkable that sexual deviate Health Secretary Alex Neil would compromise the health and safety of the people by encoding into law an increased propensity for STDs, AIDs, mental health issues, decreased life span, insult to natural law, and mocking of marriage and religion.
All because of a perverted concept of his version of Utopia! Exactly what is the Health Secretary proud of beside his perversion?
Thank you and you are correct.
:^)
All joking aside, Cornish faggots are a sort of meatball. Not as good as the Swedish variety.
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