General election comment

We have saturation cover about the forthcoming General Election in our newspapers, on radio and television. We have so many commentators forecasting and analysing speeches, and most come to the conclusion that there will be a ‘hung’ Parliament. Some, rather idealistically, think the Conservatives will get a majority.

I am quite sure this will not happen. David Cameron destroyed the Party’s chances when he introduced same sex marriage. Many people like me who have voted Conservative all our lives are not prepared to sacrifice our principles, but instead will turn to the Party which truly holds conservative views, namely UKIP.

There is a tremendous arrogance by some politicians. Nicola Sturgeon who initially gained admiration has become more arrogant and unpleasant by the day, attacking any who hold non Socialist views. Michael Gove, Theresa May, contemptuously dismiss any deal with UKIP. At least the latter Party’s views are sincerely held, and whilst there are some who are a bit on the wild side, that is not confined to UKIP, all parties have far more. But they don’t change with the wind. May and Nicky Morgan once held firm views on marriage and sexuality, but both suddenly felt they were wrong, coincidentally when they were offered Cabinet Office. Civil unions were acceptable to most people, but re-defining what God ordained is most certainly not acceptable.

I am well aware that Labour, and especially the Liberal Democrats,are in favour of same sex marriage, but Labour did not introduce a Bill to legalise, nor did they make false promises like Cameron, who said he had no intention of doing so. From what I have read,
his wife is ‘gay friendly’, so that may have been an influence.

When the legislation was introduced we were told there would be no compulsion on people to accept, but since then anyone daring to open their mouth to voice opposition has been subjected to harassment, suspension from work or social membership. A simple request for a freedom of conscience clause has been aggressively refused. Such is the pressure against any freedom of conscience we have no right to pass criticism of any other nation violating people's rights.

What is very aggravating, is to read and hear David Cameron pretending he is a committed Christian having introduced legislation which is so anti-Christian, and adding he is such an advocate of free speech. When he went to China on a trade mission he was promising protesters he would make his views on human rights known. Under his leadership, he makes China look the most liberal of nations.

Let us look at some incidents of freedom of speech and conscience in David Cameron’s Britain.

Punished for Believing in Marriage Redefining marriage is sold as a permissive measure, but it will quickly become coercive. In fact, it already has. Too many people have already been punished for expressing their sincere beliefs about marriage. Wherever marriage is redefined, people are punished for their beliefs.

Lillian Ladele was pushed out of her job as a registrar at Islington Council for asking her managers to accommodate her belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

Ashers Baking Company, owned by the McArthur family, was taken to court by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland for declining to produce a progay marriage campaign cake.

A teacher from London was demoted to the role of support teacher after she refused to read a story book which promoted gay parenting. The school wanted to promote homosexuality, which included reading books in class.

All Roman Catholic adoption agencies in England have been forced to close or abandon their religious ethos because of their policy of only placing children with traditionally married couples.

The owner of Daintree Paper, a small stationery shop in Dublin, was driven out of business following a campaign by LGBT activists because he wouldn’t display a wedding cake topper consisting of two grooms in his shop.

Manchester housing manager Adrian Smith was demoted and had his salary cut by 40 per cent, all because he said gay weddings in churches would be “an equality too far”. He wrote those four words outside work time on his personal Facebook page which was not visible to the general public.

Young girls at an orthodox Jewish school in England were questioned by school inspectors about whether they knew that two men could marry, despite same-sex marriage being contrary to Jewish teaching.

A Christian Concern conference about redefining marriage was banned from using the Law Society HQ and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre because they claimed it breached ‘diversity’ policies. It took two years and legal action before both venues reversed their decisions.

Revd Brian Ross was ’forced out’ of his job as a volunteer chaplain for Strathclyde Police after officers complained about comments he made on his personal blog objecting to the attempted redefinition of the “God ordained institution of marriage as between a man and a woman”.

Peter and Hazelmary Bull were ordered to pay £3,600 in damages because their B&B in Cornwall had a policy of only allowing married couples to share a double bed.

Nursery worker Sarah Mbuyi from London was fired for answering a question from a colleague about whether she believed in same-sex marriage.

A child was reduced to tears after being berated by his teacher for expressing the belief that marriage was between a man and a woman, according to a report published by the English Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Mario Conti, the then Archbishop of Glasgow, was reported to the police by Patrick Harvie – a Green Party MSP in the Edinburgh parliament – after he spoke out in support of traditional marriage in a sermon.

A couple in England were blocked from adopting because of their views on same-sex marriage. Only after the couple contacted lawyers did the adoption agency have a change of heart.

The UK advertising watchdog investigated advertisements produced in support of traditional marriage following complaints of homophobia from gay marriage campaigners. The ad showed wedding photographs and a poll result showing that 70 per cent of people wanted to “keep marriage as it is”.

Bus driver Arthur McGeorge faced disciplinary action by his bosses in northern England because he shared a petition backing traditional marriage with colleagues at work during his break time.

Dick and Betty Odgaard, a couple from Iowa, USA, faced legal action and threatening phone calls because they refused to rent out their wedding venue for a same-sex marriage ceremony.

Andrew McClintock was forced to resign as a magistrate in Sheffield because he didn’t believe placing children with same-sex couples was in their best interests. He lost his discrimination case at an employment appeal tribunal.

Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, received hate mail – some of a racist nature – after he spoke out against the UK Government’s plans to redefine marriage. North Yorkshire Police investigated the correspondence as hate crimes.

Marriage registrar Margaret Jones was fired by Central Bedfordshire Council because she held to traditional beliefs about marriage. An employment appeal later ruled that her employers had acted wrongly, and she was offered her job back.

Former MP and SNP leader Gordon Wilson lost his position on the board of Dundee Citizens Advice Bureau after other board members objected to his criticism of the Scottish Government’s attempt to redefine marriage.

David Burrowes MP received death threats after he said redefining marriage is unnecessary because civil partnerships already give same-sex couples legal equality with married couples.

British Red Cross volunteer Bryan Barkley was dismissed after 18 years’ service for holding up a sign saying “No Same Sex Marriage”. The Red Cross said Mr Barkley’s views were not in line with their ‘neutral’ position on same se marriage

Gilcomston Church was prevented from holding its Sunday services in the Copthorne Hotel in Aberdeen because of the church’s views on sex and marriage.

And so it goes on.....................Need any more be said?