Northern Ireland same-sex marriage plans put free speech at risk, coalition warns

Jul 16, 2019 by

from Christian Today:

A vote in the House of Commons to extend same-sex marriage plans leaves no guarantees for freedom of speech or worship, the Coalition for Marriage has warned.

It fears that church ministers may be penalised if they refuse to conduct gay marriage services, and that public sector workers with conservative views could lose their jobs.

MPs voted overwhelmingly to introduce same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland if its devolved Parliament is not restored by October 21.

Stormont has been suspended since January 2017 but the political stalemate is not expected to end soon.

The Coalition for Marriage decried the amendments passed in the Commons last week, saying that a “coach and horses were driven through devolution”.

It criticised the plans to introduce gay marriage to the province through the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill and contended that such changes to the law should instead be given their own Bill and debate time in Parliament.

“Why is it that supporters of same-sex marriage so often resort to underhand tactics?” the coalition said.

“If redefining marriage is so great, why can’t the case be argued?”

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