THE P
RTAL Don ’ t be intimidated
“ Don ’ t be intimidated ”, I said as we sipped coffee and munched biscuits in the great panelled room with its mullioned windows . “ Remember , you own this place .”
March 2013 Page 6
Auntie
Simon Hughes MP
We ( Ordinariate in S . London ) were in Parliament , with other constituents of Simon Hughes MP to discuss the Government ’ s Bill imposing a redefinition of marriage .
discuss this issue freely ?
Mr Hughes was welcoming and courteous . In a short opening prayer , he thanked God for our coming together , and the opportunity to discuss this issue . It was this that I raised when invited to speak . Will teachers - and clergy , and others - in schools be allowed to discuss this issue freely ?
What guarantee – not a vague promise , but a specific , watertight , absolute guarantee – do we have that a teacher will not be denounced to the authorities for teaching ( for example in a Religious Education class ) that marriage can only be between a man and a woman ?
Freedom for Church schools
Others raised a vast number of issues : what about the right of a young man or young woman to know to know his or her true identity , when conceived through a surrogacy arrangement and subsequently donated to a same-sex couple ? Will grandparents have any rights under such schemes ?
What about a child who is told he has two dads but discovers that , in the nature of things , he actually has a mother somewhere ? What about inheritance laws ? What about propaganda materials in schools pushing same-sex unions in defiance of parental or other wishes ? Will these be compulsory ? What penalties will there be for failure to impose such books on children ? Freedom of speech in churches and by clergy speaking outside church buildings ? Freedom for Church schools to teach Christian doctrine ?
SIGN NOW at www . c4m . org . uk
Joanna writes
contribution from a Baptist leader
Catholic clergy spoke well , and there was an exceptionally fine and thoughtful contribution from a Baptist leader . There was a muddled and rather rambling comment from a lady cleric who seemed not to know what the discussion was all about and talked about her joy at having lesbians in a local playgroup . There was an angry statement from a clergyman – an ex-Evangelical repudiating former beliefs and now supporting same-sex unions – who wanted to argue about Bible verses .
friendly and polite
As things drew to a close , Mr Hughes made it clear he would vote for the Bill , but he had made notes , and was friendly and polite . He supports -as do many of us - a complete split between church weddings and the civil law so that no church can offer a legal marriage .
The hope is that will mean no same-sex couple can sue a church for refusing to “ marry ” them . But it doesn ’ t tackle the crucial issues of our freedom to speak and preach , and to offer counsel and publish materials on marriage , it doesn ’ t tackle things like being forced to rent out a hall for a same-sex celebration , it doesn ’ t tackle the apparent obligation to force propaganda into children at school . There will be tough debates ahead .
Keep in touch with the Coalition for Marriage , and join the fight .
Joanna Bogle