David Cameron Faces Church Backlash on Gay Marriage
Gay marriage: 'cultural vandalism'
Mr Cameron, who has publicly pledged his support for gay marriage, is facing a growing backlash from within his own party over the proposal to redefine the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.
He is now facing the prospect of an open breach with prominent religious figures – just a week after leading Conservatives voiced their support for Christianity following a series of court rulings which reinforced the secularisation of Britain.
Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, yesterday joined Lord Brennan, the barrister and peer, to launch the “Coalition For Marriage”, a new cross-party campaign to designed derail the plans for homosexual marriage.
A clutch of Church of England bishops and other Christian groups have already pledged their support for the alliance which is seeking hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition to maintain the current definition of marriage.
Crucially, the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church yesterday threw its support behind the campaign, raising the prospect of support from the more than a million devout Catholics in England and Wales.
It is understood that leading bishops are considering issuing a pastoral letter to parishes across urging them to support the campaign.
Next month Lynne Featherstone, the equalities minister, is due to publish a formal consultation document on how to legalise same-sex marriage by 2015.
Opponents hope to force the Government to redraw the plans to include a question about whether marriage is to be redefined at all.
The group is already contacting 175,000 potential supporters by email and printing 500,000 petition papers and hopes to trigger a debate in Parliament on the subject.
Its petition expresses support for marriage defined as a “voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others“.
But Peter Tatchell, the homosexual rights campaigner, condemned the new coalition as "intolerant and out of touch”.
"The ban on same-sex marriage is discrimination,” he said.
“It violates the democratic principle that everyone should be equal before the law.”
Lord Carey said the campaign aimed to affirm a centuries-old understanding of marriage against a “hostile strike” led by single pressure groups not to discriminate against same-sex couples.
"The Government has no mandate from the people to redefine marriage and that is why we are gathered here today,” he said.
“We hope that they will think again.
"This matter is so serious and so important for our nation – we cannot allow this act of cultural and theological vandalism to happen."
Lord Brennan added: “This is a matter of national significance. Many times in our public lives Lord Carey and I have heard the phrase let the people speak, this is a classic case of let the people speak.
“We cannot allow social engineering to take place with such Orwellian results that we say ‘parent one’ and parent two’ instead of mother and father.”
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, has also signalled his support.
Speaking on behalf of the Roman Catholic church, the Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Rev Peter Smith, said: "Marriage is a fundamental institution and neither the state nor the church has the right to redefine its meaning.
"Together with the Church of England and the new Coalition For Marriage we will be encouraging people to sign the petition registering opposition to a change in the law on marriage."
Among those attending the launch were the former Tory leadership candidate David Davies and the Conservative MPs David Burrowes and Fiona Bruce. Mr Burrowes said that he had received a barrage of abusive messages and even a death threat after he publicly voiced hi opposition to gay marriage.
But the Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone reaffirmed the Government's committment to introducing homosexual marriage.
"This Government is promoting a fair society where people respect each other," she said.
“I believe that if a couple love each other and want to commit to a life together, they should have the option of a civil marriage, irrespective of whether they are gay or straight.
"We are absolutely not changing religious marriage, or requiring religious groups to go against their traditions.
"We will be working closely with all those who have an interest in the area to understand their views ahead of the formal consultation in March."
Last month the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, publicly voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
But the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Rev Nicholas Holtam, signalled a split within the Church of England on the subject by signalling his support for gay marriage.
Among those who have signed the Coalition For Marriage petition are the Rt Revd Peter Foster, the Bishop of Chester; the Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, Bishop of Hereford; the Rt Revd Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter and the Rt Revd James Newcome, Bishop of Carlisle.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has yet to set out his position on the issue publicly but a spokesman for the Church of England said yesterday: "The Church will respond in full to the government consultation when it is launched next month, and remains committed to the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman.
"Meanwhile, we hope people will think deeply about this question, which is more complicated than it is painted.
"While not standing in the way of same-sex couples in civil partnerships gaining equal rights and responsibilities to married heterosexual couples, the Church of England will continue to argue for the definition of marriage, which has supported society for so long, not to be changed."
Comments