Holyrood’s Shame
20 November 2013
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament has debated and voted on the SNP Government’s Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill.
Stage 1 was the opening debate in the Scottish Parliament, with a vote in principle to progress legislation to redefine marriage to include homosexual couples. It was passed by 98 votes to 15, with 5 abstentions.
Most supporters of redefining marriage put it within the context of equality. This is not new. Not only did George Orwell demonstrate in Animal Farm how equality is used as the methodology for change, but it is as old as the Bible itself, in which people complained that God’s laws were not equal. The Lord’s response is that their ways were not equal, and so the rebellion against God’s laws continue to the present.
Alex Neil, the Minister who introduced the Bill, thought that this was one of the most wonderful debates in the Scottish Parliament. He denied that it redefined marriage, but that it extended the eligibility of marriage to those who had been denied it. Newspeak is much in evidence. Jackie Baillie, a Labour MSP, called it “an idea whose time has come”. Two Church of Scotland elders spoke in favour of the change. Referring to the Bible, John Lamont, MSP, said that we had moved on from Mark’s opposition to divorce and Timothy’s prohibition of wearing pearls or gold. There is much to lament in Lamont’s interpretation of Scripture; and why did he not plainly say that it was Jesus’ teaching on divorce? Some argued that we need to “accept people the way they are”. This undermines the message and aim of the Christian Gospel, which teaches the need for people to change - to be born again in order to repent through faith in Jesus Christ.
If Christians wonder why we need specifically Christian MSPs, they might consider the number of homosexual MSPs who spoke in favour of redefining marriage. Patrick Harvie, MSP, argued that “we” (he didn’t explain who these were, but it seemed to be the Holyrood Parliament, which he was addressing) should confront and defeat the arguments against homosexuality. He said that he did not regard marriage to be the gold standard relationship.
The homosexual lobby want to take matters further. Marco Biagi, MSP, said that this Bill is not the last stage in this debate because of transgender issues. If Christians are unsure what this means, they may note that on BBC’s Question Time programme on 31/10/2013, one of the panelists was introduced as advocating “the right to change one’s gender”. This goes beyond the question of identifying one’s biological gender, but to change one’s gender.
Highland MSP John Finnie’s support for redefining marriage included dismissing the conscientious objection of Registrars opposed to homosexual partnerships and saying that they “need to get on with it”. No Highland MSP raised their voice in support of real, or traditional, marriage.
Several MSPs referred to the spirit being adopted towards those who opposed redefining marriage, and Elaine Smith, MSP, said: “Since indicating that I did not intend to support the redefinition of marriage, my religion’s been disparaged, I’ve been branded homophobic and bigoted, I’ve been likened to the Ku Klux Klan and it was suggested that I be burnt at the stake as a witch.”
Scotland will learn the hard way.
Related Stories
- 19 Nov 2011: SCP respond to Redefinition of Marriage Consultation.
- 19 Nov 2011: Text of SCP response to SNP Consultation on redefining marriage.
- 16 Nov 2013 Fergus Ewing will not support the SNP Bill to redefine marriage
- 16 Nov 2013 Will it be a fight, a skirmish or a walkover? Senior SNP Minister breaks ranks with Scottish Government
- 20 Nov 2013: Holyrood’s Shame.
- 20 Nov 2013: How MSPs voted.
- 20 Nov 2013: Highland MSPs as silent as Highland MPs.
- 9 Dec 2013: already events are moving ahead and group relationships are being promoted. If two men can be recognised in sexual partnership, why not three or more people in any combination? Secularists have no argument against this and some are even now promoting it.
- 4 Feb 2014: the Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of redefining marriage by 105 votes to 18. May God deliver us from such politicians. How the MSPs voted.
- 24 Feb 2014: MPs’ involvement with paedophilia including Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman, who has accused the Daily Mail of running a “politically-motivated smear campaign” against her. This website shows Harman wearing a tee-shirt which says “This is what a paedophile supporter looks like”, yet on BBC Newnight tonight Harriet Harman says: “I was content with the fact, in the knowledge, that nothing that I did supported paedophilia in any way, shape or form” and she refused to say that it was a mistake to .” Paedophilia: the next taboo to break.
- 27 Feb 2014: Harriet Harman regrets the link of the NCCL to PIE, but says she has “nothing to apologize for”. Ms Harman has accused the Daily Mail of “smear and innuendo”.
- 27 Feb 2014: Former Labour Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has apologised for having “got it wrong” in the row over the National Council for Civil Liberties links with the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE), in the 1970s when she was its general secretary. She said the NCCL was “naive” over its links. NCCL later changed its name to Liberty. The BBC explains the row.