UK Marriage: Why Worry?

Before you read this post, I'd love you to read "Redefining Definitions, and other Words", and a Guest Post, "Changing Orientation", and "UK Marriage, Modernisation or Muddle". Thanks.

At the end of February last year I shared a post on this blog that started one of the longer sustained discussions/explorations that I've done. This post was titled "Having Opinions about Marriage", and in it I observed at the outset of the debate something that occasionally seems to have been lost in the UK conversation, and generally thrown out the window in the Trans-Atlantic 'culture wars';

"I am aware of, and engaging with, many people, organisations and even churches who strongly believe and feel that so-called 'marriage equality' is something to fight for. They are entitled to their view. I genuinely intend to engage and discuss on this issue - as with a huge amount of other issues. That said, I honestly believe that God's heart and will for marriage is the traditional view. The biblical view. The ideal that is at once the best hope for society and a beautiful picture of God's redemptive plan for everything."

I stand by what I wrote then. As I've looked into the issue of marriage, and the subject of homosexuality, I've returned again and to the traditional, biblical view. That is not to say - and I want to stress this - that I am Homophobic, here is my view on Christianity and Homosexuality. I am also very aware that marriage has 'changed' a few times in its history - but I'm also very clear that it does have a constant core that the current UK Government is attempting to tamper with. This issue is bigger than it looks. The legislation for so-called 'equal marriage' (The term is itself flawed, in that it fails to understand real equality) is not a good thing for this country. 

So why should it not be passed? I have a number of reasons. The first is that the legislation is flawed - and the consultation that preceded it was incredibly flawed. This isn't the will of the electorate - and two online surveys demonstrate that, as I observed. Second, this is not an issue of equality. Civil partnerships afford same-sex couples the same rights as married couples. Third, its not entirely clear that every person it would benefit would actually want it! This is not a full argument per se - but given that Stonewall cannot be accurately said to represent everyone they claim to represent, it makes it even more embarassing when they swing wide of the mark regarding those they don't represent. Fourthly, this will impact marriage more widely, let alone culture and law. We don't have to look that far to see the removal of traditional terms and views from public culture, and the implications of the legislation have not been thought through. I could name several other points, but if you want a full and rigorous refutation of the Governments plans, search 'UK Marriage' in my search bar, or check out this superb piece from the Jubilee Centre.

I've tried to keep this post as concise as possible. I will follow it up over the next few days with "UK Marriage: What Can I Do?". Until then, I direct you to pray for our country, and you might like to use the model prayer from the Evangelical Alliance, and consider asking your church leaders to join in a National Day of Prayer for Marriage this sunday. For the prayer and more information, visit the EA Site here.

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