If a gay couple marry.........

[dabees]

Does it affect me? The answer is NO, so why the objections?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17249099

[Old_Geezer]

Is someone in the next town whom I don't know breaks into their neighbour's house and steals all their stuff, does it affect me ? The answer is NO, so why the objections ?

[naomi24]

//No this 'Marriage' status issue, is yet another demand by such minority groups, this time the Gay Lobbyists.//

Maybe we should do away with ‘marriage’ altogether and level the playing field to civil partnerships for all. Just a thought.

[NOX]

People object to anything because they feel threatened or sense that their power is being taken away. In this case the gentlman concerned is clearly worried that this legislation takes some of the (percieved) power away form the Catholic church who do a very good turn in lording it over everyone and ordering them to do what they think they should as a result of their religious dogma be it anti-gay, misogynistic, clandestine etc.
Threaten the power of an institution that's had it own way in the scaremongering and punishment department for the best part of 2,000 years and you are always going to get this sort of hysterical nonsense going on. They just need roundly disregarding, since they have no legitimate imput as an organisation, only as individuals where their importance is no more than the next man or woman's.
As far as word useage regarding civil partnerships is concerned- I don't know a single person who refers to them as such in relation to gay couples as SP says it's always 'Nick and Dave's wedding' already.

[naomi24]

OG, that's a daft analogy. It could be your house next, and therefore it could affect you - hence you have a valid reason to object. On the other hand you have no reason to object to someone else's marriage because that really wouldn't affect you.

[jno]

but it does affect the church, so that's why the objections

[naomi24]

...which leads us back to the question of why the church deem it their right to interfere in the lives of individuals and dictate the way people should live.

[jno]

they've never interfered in my life or dictated the way I live.

[jackthehat]

They've stopped me getting married for the last 2000 years.......:o)

[tonyav]

Bloody hell jack. how old are you ?.

[jackthehat]

I look surprisingly good for my age.....:D

[DTCwordfan]

yes, I was going to add "then that avatar isn't you or you have aged tremendously well"

[naomi24]

Unelected bishops in House of Lords having a say in the construction of this country's laws aside, if you feel that the church hasn't interfered in your life it's either because you have accepted its doctrine, eg if you were married in a church or had your child baptised in a church - or that you have avoided the church altogether.

[naomi24]

^^ that was to jno.

Jack, you're wearing well. ;o)

[NOX]

jno the church interferes in everyone's life who isn't a member of it by trying to ( and having succeeded) impose their views on others- as JTH says the church has PREVENTED her from marrying- that's everyone's beef with it- churchgoing folk see no problem with that - the rest of us do.

[FredPuli43]

'Civil partnership' is a clumsy, parliamentary draughtsman's, phrase for what is marriage in all but name. So clumsy that, in time, people will use 'marriage' when they refer to one, whatever the Church wants.That's the way language develops. The very use of the word 'gay' for ' homosexual male' is a relevant example of that. There is no obvious simple substitute for the word 'marriage' in everyday speech. 'Partnership' and 'partner' are both used already of unions which are of simple cohabitation.

[jno]

there are Catholic bishops in the House of Lords? How many?

Anyway, to restate the OP: Do the sayings of Roman Catholic bishops affect me? The answer is NO, so why the objections?

[Kromovaracun]

" Do the sayings of Roman Catholic bishops affect me? The answer is NO, so why the objections?"

They are logically incoherent and bad arguments which take the form of moral judgements about how people ought to live or behave, that's why I care about them. They deserve to be challenged. The Catholic church - or at least the particular form of Catholicism espoused by O'Brien - demands authority and 'respect' from us. In this case, O'Brien clearly feels like he has the right to describe gay marriage as 'grotesque subversion' and get away with it. He shouldn't and he doesn't.

[jno]

Kromovaracun, the OP seemed to suggest that he wasn't affected by plans for gay marriage, and therefore the Catholic church shouldn't be. I think that's an illogical question - the church is objecting on its own behalf, not dabees' - so I restated it in another form that I hoped would highlight this.

None the less, the fact remains that the Catholic church - which was the subject of the OP - has no power whatever over my life. It has perhaps prevented jack from marrying within its buildings, I don't know.

It's a different matter for the Anglican church, which is unwarrantedly represented in the House of Lords. But as far as I know, despite the protests of the odd archbishop (and no doubt a lot of vicars), the C of E hasn't come out against gay marriage.

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

/// ...which leads us back to the question of why the church deem it their right to interfere in the lives of individuals and dictate the way people should live. ///

To be fair that could also read;

...which leads us back to the question of why the Gay Lobby deem it their right to interfere in the lives of those who consider Marriage is for heterosexuals and dictate the way the Church should change it's rulings.

No opinion either way myself, just making for a balanced argument.

[cathfromsaron]

yes, providing the ceremonies will be held at register offices, it's none of their darn business!

cath x