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.
This story is warming me up to Belfast, where men are men!
“I never hear anything about gay marriage from Korea or Japan. Nor China.”
It isn’t recognized in any of the countries that are sending their populations to fill the countries that do recognize it.
Nor the Catholic Philippines, Muslim Indonesia, etc., etc..
I’m amazed 4% of the population is pushing the rest of us around - and winning.
Crap! I thought I hit the kilt thing first. You beat me. Wait, forget that.
As far as legal immigration———
I read that in the last decade we had more Asians coming in than Hispanics. You can now find Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants in America.
John Barleycorn must die!
Considering that my post was number three, what are you saying?
Well a ripe post gets picked fast. You win!
The divorce, when it comes, will make the 1860s look like a church ice cream social.
Considering that like minds think alike ... we both win.
[nevermind]
“As far as legal immigration——— I read that in the last decade we had more Asians coming in than Hispanics. You can now find Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants in America.”
In my area we’ve seen more Asians from the sub-continent, but their numbers are miniscule compared to the Hispanics. Looking at just the Mexican numbers alone in this country, I don’t see how Asians would even come close in numbers. In any case, my reference to countries that don’t recognize “gay marriage” was more geared towards Asia/Africa than Hispanics; Latin American countries will recognize it and it will be celebrated by their urban Creole populations, but their more numerous native populations will rightly regard it as the abomination it is (and in the end those demographic differences matter).
2%. If that.
Well blow the “bagpipe”
it seems the men left scotland a long time ago
Now that was funny...
Thanks.
You’ve been holding that one for decades waiting for the right moment haven’t you.
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