The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Marriage law was examined in great detail
Sir, - David Robertson (letters, July 7) asserts that he and the late SNP leader Gordon Wilson warned that same-sex marriage “was being passed hastily and without due consideration, and that it would lead to the marginalisation and demonisation of those who held a Christian view of marriage”.
Equal marriage in Scotland kicked off with gay activist Nick Henderson drawing up a petition on the matter in January 2009.
It closed on March 6 2009, having drawn 1,007 signatures, and we submitted to the Scottish Parliament.
On March 17 2009 the petitions committee in the Scottish Parliament agreed to ask the Scottish Executive about whether it planned to amend the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.
The Scottish Executive carried out a consultation on same-sex marriage from September to December 2011, which returned 67% in favour.
The Marriage and Civil Partnerships Bill was not introduced to the Scottish Parliament until 27 June 2013, and further discussion, including religious and other opposition representatives, took place.
The Bill passed its final stage on December 19 2013, and passed into law on March 12 2014.
That is called democracy and I suggest that David learns to live with that.
I would add that the Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Scotland) Act is the most comprehensive shake-up of Scots marriage law in history.
There were actually criticisms of it taking too long to be implemented, but it took time because there was so much to consider.
David claims Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, and the SNP convener of the Scottish Parliament are “putting pressure on the DUP to impose same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland”.
If they are, it is falling upon deaf ears, for the DUP are showing absolutely no intention of doing so.
Can David, as a Free Church of Scotland Minister, honestly say he has had pressure put on to him to allow or officiate over same-sex marriages?
Can he point me to any member of the Christian clergy, anywhere in Scotland, who has been forced to carry out any such marriage?
By falsely trying to claim those Christians who reject same-sex marriage are having it forced upon them, and that political leaders think they know better than Jesus (who said nothing about homosexuality), Mr Robertson is the only one guilty of hubris, who is demonising himself, and who apparently thinks he speaks for his God. Leslie Thomson. 2 Moredunvale Green, Edinburgh.