Police Minister: Opposing Gay Marriage ‘Unacceptable’
ICC Note
Nick Herbert, government minister in charge of policing and criminal justice, says it is unacceptable to oppose gay marriage. Many, including Christians, oppose gay marriage despite efforts to allow for such marriage in UK. We believe that it should be acceptable for Christians and others to oppose gay marriage.
06/01/2012 UK (The Christian Institute)-Being opposed to gay marriage is “not acceptable”, says the Government minister in charge of policing and criminal justice.
Nick Herbert specifically related his remarks to people who want to uphold the current law on marriage.
But his comments put him at odds with some of his Government colleagues who have voiced their disquiet over plans to redefine marriage.
Reservations
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland says he won’t support gay marriage.
A number of other ministers, including the Secretary of Defence Philip Hammond, have expressed reservations.
…
Marriage
Speaking to the London Evening Standard Mr Herbert, who is in a civil partnership, said that he is “getting rather fed up with people metaphorically jabbing a finger into my chest and saying I should put up with a civil partnership.
“How would they like it if I jabbed a finger into their chests and said they should put up with a civil partnership instead of their marriage?
“In my view it’s not acceptable to say to a group in society, ‘You should put up with something that is a second-order institution to something that everybody else is entitled to, because we say so’.”
Rebellion
To ward off a potential rebellion, David Cameron has confirmed that all Conservative MPs – including ministers – will be given a free vote on the issue.
…
A petition opposing any change, organised by the Coalition for Marriage, has already been signed by more than half a million people.
…
