[Margaret Pilkington]

Eric, I have no qualms about homosexuals being christians, or adding any kind of spiritual dimension to their lives......no-one is trying to ban them from the church, or from other services permitted by the church...it is just that marriage is a sacrament that joins a man and a woman...for the purpose of procreation(and now you are going to say what about those who cannot have children - the elderly brides, well the marriage service is different for them). That is the primary aim of marriage....to give a foundation on which to bring up families.

This government are promising that people who invoke a conscience clause will not be persecuted(or prosecuted) for not marrying homosexuals....but this guarantee is worthless, because a couple who feel they have been 'wronged' by a celebrant refusing to marry them, will, no doubt take this to the Court in Strasbourg....and any laws we have, will be over-ridden by them....we are going to be criminalising people for exercising their beliefs.
Teachers who have firm christian/traditional views will be dismissed if they do not teach about homosexual marriage.
so the views of the few are going to be foisted onto the majority.....and those dissenters will be labelled homophobic, or bigot....with the prime purpose of stifling any discussion of the subject.
People will still think what they want to think,but they just won't vocalise it(for fear of being labelled)...and that cannot be right.

I will say again.........I have nothing at all against anyone who is in a homosexual relationship but I do not agree with the redefining of marriage for same sex couples.....and never will, as long as I live.

I have nothing more to say on this, so this will be the last post to this thread.