Same-Sex “Marriage”
Last month’s Magazine reported on the Scottish Government’s proposals to legislate for same-sex “marriage”. Now it is clear that the Westminster Government also intends to introduce similar legislation for England and Wales. There is no need to add to the comment made last month except to re-emphasise how utterly opposed to Scripture – and therefore to our Maker’s will for how we should live – such proposals are.
It is a measure of how far, and how quickly, the political mood in this country has changed in recent years that a previous leader of the Scottish National Party, Gordon Wilson, has come out in strong opposition. He is the joint author of a submission to the Scottish Government which states that such a change to the laws on marriage will undermine “even further the Christian foundation” of Scottish society. The submission goes on to argue that “it will lead to further social disintegration, sexual confusion and greater intolerance, where any in public life or service who dare to uphold the Christian view of marriage will be ostracised and discriminated against”.
There is still time for readers to make their minds known on this subject to their elected representatives and to both Governments.
A Mature Society?
Following discussions with the Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley on the Sectarianism Bill, the First Minister Alex Salmond is reported as saying: “I think we are now mature enough and strong enough as a society to take on this appalling behaviour and ensure our beautiful game of football is not tainted by the actions of a mindless minority”. The fact that such words are
expected to impress people, however, is one indication among many that Scottish society is, in the main, grossly immature. Mature people do not spend their time and money on football and other sports, talking endlessly about the “Dons” and other football teams. They do not go to rock concerts. They do not stream into the town on Friday nights seeking to gratify their lusts. They do not welcome the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. They do not spend a lot of time watching soap operas or reading works of fiction.
Instead, they are interested in human life, in families and children, young people and old people, rich and poor, British and foreign. They have seen the ill-effects of broken homes and one-parent families. They are thankful that Britain enjoys the peace, prosperity, order and freedom that she does, but they do not take this for granted, and they view with great alarm the radical “social engineering” being attempted by our politicians, such as Mr Salmond and Mr Cameron. They think of the horrors of Nazi Germany and wonder if Britain could suddenly degenerate in that way. They have observed the connection between Protestantism and the well-being of society, and they have noted that a society which despises biblical doctrine does not long retain biblical values.
Above all, they think of the shortness of human life, and of death, and of what lies beyond. And if their eyes have been opened, they think about sin and about Christ and Him crucified. They have come to expect little from the manoeuvres of politicians but great things from the preaching of the gospel. They say with John: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 Jn 5:19); and with Peter: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet 3:13). DWBS