tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654455663519806899.post5410322714075937225..comments2023-11-09T02:43:59.293-08:00Comments on Christian Medical Comment: Faith leaders say marriage and religious freedom are intricately linkedPeter Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17222354018504253042noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654455663519806899.post-49618746868879958782012-01-16T08:40:54.797-08:002012-01-16T08:40:54.797-08:00The legal definition of marriage in British law is...The legal definition of marriage in British law is '… the voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.'<br /><br />Most of the world's 200-odd countries employ a similar definition. <br /><br />A same-sex partnership (whether permanent or not) is not a marriage and should not be called one. Same-sex couples can form civil partnerships under British law - heterosexual couples are however not permitted to have these. <br /><br />In my view it is right that the two arrangements are kept separate as they are different types of relationship. <br /><br />But could you please tell me what specific 'rights' are available to married couples that are not already available to same-sex couples in civil partnerships and why you feel that same-sex couples should have access to both models?<br /><br />The real challenge will be to see if you can marshall a reasoned argument in support of this without resorting to labels, accusations and ad hominem attacks. I wonder if you can.Peter Saundershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17222354018504253042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2654455663519806899.post-9049459624414741932012-01-16T05:44:21.950-08:002012-01-16T05:44:21.950-08:00Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In...Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships, many gay people want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option. They don't want to deny you yours. They don't want to take anything away from you. They want what you want -- a chance to be a little less alone in the world.<br /><br />Only now you are saying to them -- no. You can't have it on these terms. Maybe something similar. If they behave. If they don't cause too much trouble. A world around them, still anchored in love and marriage, and you are saying, "no, you can't marry". What if somebody passed a law that said you couldn't marry?<br /><br />The Church's obsession with this issue and with the single definition of a single word is laughable.<br /><br />Laughable, but also pitiable, as it condemns you in ways words struggle to explain.<br /><br />To deny a whole swathe of the community their happiness, their willingness to have what others have at no expense to anyone, their simple and thoroughly understandable urge not to cause trouble, but simply to be equal...<br /><br />It's not principled.<br />It's not holy.<br />It's not respectable.<br /><br />It's callous.<br />It's hypocritical.<br />It's wrong.<br /><br />Shame on you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com