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Will intimidation be enough to get same-sex marriage past the Lords in Britain? [UPDATE]

Anti-Same-Sex Marriage Protest in France - one million turnout

The politics around same-sex marriage is really interesting. Unlike other real civil rights issues, this one is being entirely driven by the elites responding to a small, but vocal lobby group of activists. It is opposed strongly by large percentage of the population in most countries where it has been passing lately, yet this does not seem to slow down it's progress despite the electoral kiss of death it confers. As Brendan O'Neill explains:

Throughout modern history, big, democratic, civil rights leaps forward have had two things in common. First, they were demanded by very large and often very angry sections of the public; and second, it took ages and ages for the political classes to concede to them. And when they did eventually cave in and legislate for the new liberty or opportunity being demanded by the hordes, they tended to do so begrudgingly, often while wearing a sneer...

...The gay marriage campaign absolutely eviscerates that view of social progress. It turns it completely on its head. It redefines social progress to mean the polar opposite of what it meant for most of the modern period: no longer the struggle of the man in the street against illiberal officialdom, but rather the struggle of right-on officials against the prejudices and idiocy of the man in the street.

France has just passed same-sex marriage laws despite massive, public, vocal opposition that just won't let up, and now the President's approval rating is the lowest yet for any French President ever - only 24%.

Now, I read that in Britain, Anglican Lords are being threatened if they don't vote for same-sex marriage to pass (hattip WhaleOil). This is after Tory Catholic MPs wrote to the Lords saying that they were pressured to vote the same way, even though they supposedly had a free vote.

The question really is, will the Lords allow themselves to be intimidated? We'll find out soon.

UPDATE: UK Lords overwhelmingly vote for gay ‘marriage’ bill: pro-marriage campaigners not giving up

Related links:
Congratulations, gay marriage campaigners – you have completely destroyed the meaning of social progress ~ Brendan O'Neill, The Telegraph
Hollande's popularity hits new lows after a year at France's helm ~ The Christian Science Monitor
Bishops under pressure to abstain in gay marriage vote ~ The Telegraph
MPs urge Lords to block gay marriage Bill after ‘sham’ free vote ~ Catholic Herald
Pro-marriage revolution building in France: up to 1 million march ~ LifeSiteNews

Comments

  1. The Anglican retired Bishop of Rochester (that is the diocese of the Catholic martyr St John Fisher)is a wonderful Christian. He thinks passing the law for same-sex marriage will put the Queen in a terrible situation. Her oath is to 'uphold all of God's laws'. Clearly this is going to be one she can't put her title and name to.

    I don't think Queen Elizabeth could go with this in good conscience. Her silly son Charles on the other hand would.

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  2. Hi Lindalee,

    Yes, I think I must have seen that comment from the retired Anglican Bishop sometime yesterday. Thanks for adding it here!

    A big part of the problem with the British Monarchy is it's entanglement with the Anglican Church. It will either be sorted out, or both will cease to exist in Britain. Personally, I think the latter is more likely to occur.

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  3. Pardon my ignorance but undoubtedly this 'movement' is being pushed from somewhere else.That is, by the 'untouchables' higher up.No need for a conspiracy or two, it is in plain sight. Australia may have temporarily stopped it, but it is exactly that, temporary.Totalitarianism is on the march.

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  4. Brendan O'Neill is simply wrong here:

    Throughout modern history, big, democratic, civil rights leaps forward have had two things in common. First, they were demanded by very large and often very angry sections of the public; and second, it took ages and ages for the political classes to concede to them. And when they did eventually cave in and legislate for the new liberty or opportunity being demanded by the hordes, they tended to do so begrudgingly, often while wearing a sneer...

    A great many democratic/civil rights advances were pushed through by elites in the face of significant popular opposition - abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, repeal of racial segregation laws, decriminalisation of homosexuality, all kinds of things. O'Neill cites women's suffrage as something won by the masses, but it was wildly unpopular with a broad swathe of the population, particularly the ones who weren't women. The fact that the Swiss do binding referenda for changes like this is one reason women didn't get the vote there until the 1960s. Sometimes the elites are right and the mob is wrong.

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  5. Mzala...yes I think it is an imposition from 'above'... I would say the university and political elites. Simply I think it is a socialist march, Gramsci style, through the institutions. Marx didn't like traditional marriage he thought it oppressive for women and children. Which makes me think same sex marriage is a tactic to abolish marriage, which in effect it does.

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  6. Lucia...it will be interesting to see what happens re the Queen. I'm not sure the Anglican Church will disappear but rather break into evangelical and liberal divide. This in effect is what is happening amongst parishes already.

    Prince Charles has already said he would like to be Defender of Faiths (!!!). Which is ridiculous. If the Monarchy is going to go to the wall it will be with him. The Queen is fantastic...perhaps she might call the Papal Nuncio when she is in extremis one day and come to Rome.

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  7. The west has been sliding into fascism for some time.

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