Posted on 12/07/2012 6:39:11 PM PST by marshmallow
David Cameron will risk a major battle with his party next week by backing gay weddings in churches, the Evening Standard can reveal.
He will go further than ever in his modernising drive by saying religious groups should be allowed to host same-sex civil weddings in churches, synagogues and other religious buildings if they choose.
Organisations that reject gay marriage, such as the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, will have legal protection from being forced to host ceremonies against their wishes, the Prime Minister will pledge.
Tory MPs will have a free vote on a Bill next year, while Labour MPs will be whipped in favour.
It means all three party leaders now support a historic equality reform that would once have seemed incredible — that homosexual partners can have the same civil marriage rights as heterosexual couples and even get married in a religious setting. But some Conservatives said there would be “outrage” and warned that the Tories would haemorrhage members.
Tory MP Peter Bone said Mr Cameron’s party was split about 50-50 and claimed that several Cabinet ministers would vote against gay marriage.
He added: “Despite the PM’s assurance, the redefinition of marriage — because of the European Convention on Human Rights — will force churches to marry same-sex couples. This will outrage millions of people and hugely damage the Government in electoral terms.”
Culture Secretary Maria Miller will formally launch the gay marriage revolution on Thursday when she issues the Government’s response to a summer-long consultation on the plans. There have been “hundreds of thousands” of responses, say insiders, including a large number of protests by church-goers.
(Excerpt) Read more at standard.co.uk ...
LOL. For another week, month, year or whatever
As the humanists take over the world, the Great Day of the LORD comes closer. God said he will have to cut his delay short because Mankind is going to destroy itself if He does not.
Imagine the Hutzpah of some politician deciding that he should tell God how to run His Church. Boy is that going to be a humbling experience on his judgement day.
AMEN!
I think I can hear Winston Churchill rolling over in his grave.
Where does the PM stand on these events occuring in mosques?
You can't make this stuff up.
And he’s a Conservative.
Exactly.
Sometimes I get heartened when I hear the conservatives are coming back in Europe, but then I remember what a European conservative is like.
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