{"id":5051,"date":"2012-12-31T12:15:39","date_gmt":"2012-12-31T12:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=5051"},"modified":"2013-01-05T06:51:43","modified_gmt":"2013-01-05T06:51:43","slug":"gay-marriage-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/gay-marriage-update\/","title":{"rendered":"MPs Oppose ‘Gay Marriage’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"David<\/a>
David Cameron could be facing a rebellion from within his own party over plans to legalize gay ‘marriage.’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Parliamentary opposition to same-sex \u2018marriage\u2019 is mounting in response to Government\u2019s plans to fast-track a vote on same-sex \u2018marriage\u2019 in early 2013.<\/p>\n

The actual number of Tory MPs opposed to the change may be as high as 130, while only 60% of Labour voters and 77% of Liberal Democrats say they favour the changes.<\/p>\n

The rebellion currently brewing in the Conservative Party is of sufficient magnitude that some insiders believe it may destroy the party, and certainly cost the Tory party the next election.<\/p>\n

Among David Cameron\u2019s most vocal critics is Monmouth MP David Davies, who warned, \u201cWe\u2019re going to lose a large number of very loyal activists who\u2019ve gone out and campaigned for us over the years and who don\u2019t like this idea, so politically it\u2019s barking mad.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Parliamentary backlash has culminated in a letter to the Government<\/a><\/strong> that was printed in the Telegraph on 17 December, in which 58 MPs from all parties declared their support of \u201cfreedom from the state being able to redefine the meaning of marriage.\u201d They wrote,<\/p>\n

SIR \u2013 As parliamentarians from different political parties and none, we are united in supporting the institution of marriage defined in law as a union between a man and a woman. We recognise the value of a loving and committed relationship and we respect civil partnership, but affirm the distinctive value of marriage reflecting the complementarity of a man and woman often evidenced in parenthood.<\/p>\n

At the last election, none of the three main parties stood on a platform to redefine marriage. It was not contained in any of their manifestos, nor did it feature in the Coalition\u2019s Programme for Government. These facts alone should have led to extreme caution on the part of those calling for this change to be made.<\/p>\n

Instead the Government is ignoring the overwhelming public response against the plans. The consultation has ignored the views of 500,000 British residents in favour of anonymous submissions from anyone anywhere in the world. We believe that the Government does not have a mandate to redefine marriage.<\/p>\n

We recognise these are issues of conscience which will be given free votes in Parliament. We will be seeking legal guarantees of the same freedom of conscience for our constituents and religious organisations to teach, preach and express a traditional view of marriage.<\/p>\n

We are sceptical that the proposed protections will prevent the erosion of liberties of religion and conscience. The proposed redefinition of marriage is unnecessary, given the legal rights established through civil partnerships. We understand some parliamentarians support freedom for same sex couples to marry, but we support a freedom from the state being able to redefine the meaning of marriage.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In addition to the dissent in his own party, David Cameron has received fierce opposition from church spokesmen. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury said in a Christmas sermon that plans to legalize gay \u2018marriage\u2019 were comparable to the way the Nazis and Communists tried to undermine religion. The Right Reverend Mark Davies accused David Cameron of trying to redefine the institution of marriage for \u2018generations to come.\u2019 He pointed out that both Hitler and Stalin challenged Christianity under the banner of \u2018progress\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Bishop\u2019s words were echoed\u00a0 by John Smeaton, head of the UK\u2019s leading pro-life and pro-family group, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, who commented: \u201cThe government\u2019s proposals will only be defeated through the dogged, united efforts of politicians, church leaders, pro-family and pro-life activists, who are prepared to defend, with maximum determination, the birthright of every citizen \u2013 the existence of the institution of marriage, the permanent, exclusive union of one man and one woman, the basis of the family and the fundamental group unit of society.\u201d<\/p>\n

PRAY<\/strong>: that God would grow the strength of the opposition within the Tory party so that these abominable measures will be defeated.<\/p>\n

WRITE<\/b>: if your MP was among those who signed the letter to the Telegraph, write to congratulate and encourage them. Following are the list of MP\u2019s who participated in the letter.<\/p>\n

David Burrowes MP (Conservative)
\nJoe Benton MP (Labour)
\nDavid Davis MP (Conservative)
\nMary Glindon MP (Labour)
\nLord Hylton (Crossbench)
\nNigel Dodds MP (Democratic Unionist Party)
\nLord Anderson of Swansea (Labour)
\nFiona Bruce MP (Conservative)
\nJim Dobbin MP (Labour)
\nLord Carey of Clifton (Crossbench)
\nRehman Chishti MP (Conservative)
\nLord Griffiths of Fforestfach (Conservative)
\nSir Gerald Howarth MP (Conservative)
\nTim Loughton MP (Conservative)
\nPeter Bone MP (Conservative)
\nJeffrey Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party)
\nAndrew Selous MP (Conservative)
\nJohn Glen MP (Conservative)
\nSir Jim Paice MP (Conservative)
\nStewart Jackson MP (Conservative)
\nLord Edmiston (Conservative)
\nJim Shannon MP (Democratic Unionist Party)
\nLord Palmer (Crossbench)
\nAndrew Bingham MP (Conservative)
\nLord Shrewsbury and Waterford (Conservative)
\nJulian Brazier MP (Conservative)
\nDavid Simpson MP (Democratic Unionist Party)
\nPauline Latham MP (Conservative)
\nNick de Bois MP (Conservative)
\nRichard Drax MP (Conservative)
\nLord Tombs (Crossbench)
\nJonathan Evans MP (Conservative)
\nSir Roger Gale MP (Conservative)
\nIan Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party)
\nGordon Henderson MP (Conservative)
\nPhilip Hollobone MP (Conservative)
\nLord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour)
\nMarcus Jones MP (Conservative)
\nLord Swinfen (Conservative)
\nBaroness Fookes (Conservative)
\nJeremy LeFroy MP (Conservative)
\nLord Vinson (Conservative)
\nKarl McCartney MP (Conservative)
\nDr William McCrea MP (Democratic Unionist Party)
\nAnne McIntosh MP (Conservative)
\nStephen Metcalfe MP (Conservative)
\nAnne-Marie Morris MP (Conservative)
\nDavid Nuttall MP (Conservative)
\nMatthew Offord MP (Conservative)
\nDavid Davies MP (Conservative)
\nMark Pawsey MP (Conservative)
\nDavid Ruffley MP (Conservative)
\nLord Marlesford (Conservative)
\nHenry Smith MP (Conservative)
\nBaroness O\u2019Cathain (Conservative)
\nBob Stewart MP (Conservative)
\nBen Wallace MP (Conservative)
\nCraig Whittaker MP (Conservative)<\/p>\n

Further Reading<\/strong><\/h3>\n