07 February 2013 Watford, United Kingdom [Heather Haworth, BUC NEWS] The issue of ‘gay marriages’ has been a particular subject of focus both in BUC News and the wider Christian and secular press. Following Tuesday’s vote, Colin Hart, Coalition for Marriage campaign manager, writes, “After more than six hours of bitter debate, the Commons voted in favour of same-sex weddings by 400 votes to 175, a majority of 225. Together with abstentions and stay-aways, one third of the Commons did not back the bill. With there being such a large ‘no’ vote this has become the focus of the newspapers.”
Mr Hart also commented, “The Prime Minister suffered the embarrassment of having to rely on Labour and Lib Dem MPs to secure victory with a total of 136 Tories voting against the measure, more than the 126 who voted in favour. The bill will eventually pass to the Lords where voting arithmetic is very different.”
David Cameron is under fire by his MPs for pushing an item through Parliament not in the Tory manifesto. He is also accused of holding “great swathes of the electoral in contempt over a sham consultation about gay marriage”, according to Dr Sharon James. She states that 500,000 names on a petition against such a law was “relegated to an appendix”. Dr James leads out in a weekly video explanation on the true meaning of marriage.
Pondering on how the majority vote went with gay marriage, Heather Haworth, BUC Family Ministries director, concluded that the breakdown of the family through the erosion of the sanctity of marriage, by premarital sex, cohabitation and lack of commitment to a lifelong spouse, has caused the politicians to desperately seek for avenues which, as David Cameron wrote about gay marriage, will “make our society stronger”.
The need for strong and stable relations is also motivated by the government’s high budget deficit, part of which is caused by the breakdown of families. In 2012 the latter cost the government £44 billion, up £2 billion from the previous year. Approximately £1,470 per tax payer, per year. [http://www.relationshipsfoundation.org.]
The Prime Minister wants to have a ‘fairer society’ but it seems to be in opposition to our Christian beliefs. What is our responsibility in upholding the Biblical view of marriage? Look to Jesus’ example. He took everything to His Father in prayer. He spoke with concern to those in leadership about their misuse of power. He cared for those who were mistreated. In other words, contact your MP asking them to keep to the present law’s definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Role model a Christian marriage to this generation so they will copy it in their own relationships.
Perhaps the harder challenge is to treat with Christ-like care those whose lifestyle is not reflective of the Biblical view of marriage. [tedNEWS]
tedNEWS Staff: Miroslav Pujic, director; Deana Stojkovic, editor
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