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Showing posts from April, 2012

Against same-sex marriage? You could be making a big assumption with significant implications without realising it.

  If you believe same-sex relationships are wrong, based all or in part on the teachings of the Bible, and if you assume it necessarily follows that you should be against the legalisation of same-sex marriage, I’d like to suggest there may be important things you haven’t yet considered.   If you believe this is an important topic, I submit that this note is worthy of your attention, even if you are convinced that your conviction about this may not be swayed, and I ask you to read on.   Let us start by making some assumptions, which I hope everyone reading this is either happy with, or is happy to entertain for the purpose of illustrating the argument: God created man in his image and created woman from man’s flesh to be his companion, united forever as one body and this is the basis for Christian marriage. Sex between a man and a woman is part of God’s design in creation. Homosexuals indulge in sexual sin and as a consequence will not inherit the kingdom of God. Everybody on this plane

Is conservative religious faith the enemy of reason, free thought and civil society or have I missed something?

Few can have missed the recent and on-going furore over the government’s proposals to legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales. Public expressions of both support and opposition to the proposals from ordinary members of the public have been in plentiful supply, and shyness hasn’t prevented lots of people, many of whom are not often found campaigning, appealing to friends and strangers alike, to join the melee and take action to influence proceedings one way or another. What has been lacking is real dialogue.   How many of these eager voices have engaged in rigorous debate? How many have taken the time to consider their position and to hear and reflect on that of their opponents? How many have done so in pursuit of a full understanding of the issue about which they are so exercised, and have been prepared to pursue that aim relentlessly and to its very end? Of those arguing against same-sex marriage, I have found but one such person, but I am not surprised. Why? Because the vast