Sunday 4 March 2012

We cannot afford to indulge these Cardinals

The anti-marriage equality rants are becoming more and more unhinged. There's debating the merits of such a change to an institution that has so much meaning to so many, and then there is being nasty. Cardinal O'Brien has crossed that line this morning in the Telegraph.

With the use of phrases designed to insult (such as "Their proposal represents a grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right.") he seems to have forgotten his Church's roots in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Peace, kindness, forgiveness. These are not values this representative of Catholicism seems to understand.

Sadly he rolls out the usual arguments.

Won't somebody think of the children?, he asks in the tone of someone who thinks children will be denied a mother and a father due to marriage. Don't let anyone tell him same-sex couples can already adopt.

It'll undermine the fabric of society. But let's not point out those other odd-ball basketcase countries such as Canada or Norway where marriage equality is already legal and society has yet to collapse. I'm sure he probably believes the Roman empire collapsed due to buggery (what came first buggery or Christianity? I rest my case).

They already have civil partnerships, why do they want more? Freedom should not be some sort of generous concession given to keep minorities quiet. It is what it is. It's not greedy to ask to be treated as an equal citizen of one's country.

When they got civil partnerships they said they didn't want anything more! He confuses Labour and the champagne gays like Ben Summerskill with genuine LGBT freedom loving folk. I'll leave it to them to explain either their change of heart or, as some Labour activists have proudly boasted to me recently, their duplicity.

All pointless scare-mongering.

Cardinal O'Brien needs to have a good hard long look at himself and come back with something less off the peg.


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