Church in a knot over gay marriage

Last updated at 13:52, Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Seems to me Roman Catholic cardinals, senior Anglican churchmen and obedient parish priests are getting themselves in a right old knot over the gay marriage issue.

Have your say

Sorry, your other question. No. In all honesty I can't remember whether the assurances came from the gay community or the politicians or both - but it happened!

Posted by Ian on 15 March 2012 at 14:41

Because politicians are SO in touch with what goes on in the community hey Ian? Methinks with homophobes it is a case of being uncomfortable withs one's sexuality for one reason or another.

Posted by Char on 15 March 2012 at 12:09

@Ian the slippery slope is a recognised logical fallacy. In your post you are arguing that if we grant equal rights to gay marriage then the next step will be incestuous marriage. This is a fallacy because the two are completely disconnected. There are rational reasons to disallow sibling marriage but there are none, not one, against gay marriage.
As to the civil partnership issue you raised. You may have had "assurance after assurance from the politicians" but did you have that from the gay community? Do the politicians speak for the gay community or do they speak for themselves?

Posted by Bob T on 15 March 2012 at 11:53

Ian,

50 years ago, people were having this debate over whether blacks and white should be allowed to get marry. Yes, it wasn't illegal, but the social stigma made it all but unknown. We've moved on since then, thankfully, and it's no business of your what consenting adults choose to do.

Do you understand that concept? Consent? It's why same-sex marriage is okay, but marrying your dog or a child isn't.

Posted by Nathan on 15 March 2012 at 10:57

Bob T. I don't mind you calling it the "slippery slope" - but why fallacy? Do you have some convincing evidence that it couldn't happen? A generation ago, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Nearly 10 years ago, when the "civil partnership" discussions were going on, we had assurance after assurance from the politicians that it would be sufficient, the gay community would be content and there was absolutely no question of it going any further...

Posted by Ian on 14 March 2012 at 22:57

Paul, in medieval times the sin for which Sodom was destroyed was supposed to be lack of hospitality and lack of generosity. So it seems to me that the heterosexuals arguing that marriage is for mixed-sex couples only are the sodomites, not the same-sex couples who want to get married.

Besides, even if we accept your idea that anal intercourse as the sin for which Sodom was destroyed and which God condemns, let God condemn it; what business is it of yours how your neighbours have sex? Don't be a Paul Pry!

Posted by Jane on 14 March 2012 at 21:09

AG certain freedoms used to be only for white males, then women and ethnicities fought for them as well.

Life is evolution, roll with it, or stagnate in hate.

Posted by LD on 14 March 2012 at 19:03

@AG Marriage is *currently* a union between a man and a woman but things change - things always change. Marriage has changed.
When you say it is an institution that belongs to men and women are you saying that gay people are not men and women?
In what way are gays being bigots? A bigot is a person who is irrationally intolerant of others? In what way is asking for equal rights either irrational or intolerant?
This question remains un-answered. As a heterosexual (I presume) in what way would gay marriage affect you at all? If you don't want a gay marriage, don't get married to someone of the same sex!

Posted by Bob T on 14 March 2012 at 18:25

Marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Nothing more, nothing less. It's an institution that belongs to men and women. It's nobody else's to claim ownership of. 'Gay' bigots please stay away.

Posted by AG on 14 March 2012 at 15:59

Excellent article, thank you Ann.
@Paul, Christian's attitude towards homosexuality is not affected by equal marriage right. They can carry on being just as bigoted and homophobic as they always have been though I hope they will not. With the new law they will no longer be able to stick their bigotry onto everyone else. Frankly, their beliefs about what their imaginary friend thinks really has no place in the law.
@Ian, are you going to play the slippery slope fallacy? Seriously?

Posted by Bob T on 14 March 2012 at 12:58