Following a ‘postcard campaign’ by the Catholic church in Scotland, evangelical church leaders have followed suit by making the Scottish Government aware that they strongly oppose any move to bring in full homosexual ‘marriage’.
Over 70 leaders signed a joint letter which was sent to First Minister Alex Salmond, urging him to maintain the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.
When the Scottish Government launched a consultation on the matter, it assured church leaders that they would not be forced to conduct marriage ceremonies for same sex couples.
However, widespread concerns still remain amongst Scottish church leaders over the impact of redefining marriage.
The letter reads: “It stands to reason a redefinition will be promoted as standard by public bodies. This has significant implications across society, not least for what children will be taught in schools. Government did not invent marriage, and it is astonishing that it is seeking to legally redefine it at the behest of a small minority. What is to stop it being redefined further? There is a very real risk of definition-creep. If marriage is redefined who is to say that, for example, polygamy should not be legalised?”
The church leaders also expressed concern about the potential impact of redefinition on children, suggesting that it would convey the message that “a child does not need a mother and a father”.
It was also explained that under current legislation, no one is being discriminated against: “In supporting marriage, we are not removing rights from anyone. Redefining marriage is not an issue of equality or fairness, as argued by those calling for this change. Equality does not mean sameness but recognises diversity. In the Scottish Government’s consultation document it is abundantly clear that homosexual couples already have the rights of marriage available through civil partnerships.”
Paul Rees, Senior Pastor at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh, said that the Scottish Government had “miscalculated the strength of feeling” on the subject of marriage.
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of Christian Concern, commented: “The Scottish Government must listen to the voice of these pastors and the many Christians that they represent. Redefining marriage will have huge societal consequences and Christians must continue to stand for God’s truth on this matter for the good of society as a whole.”