Marriage - Was Nick Clegg right to apologise?

Throughout the centuries, our human forbears have caused offence when extremist views are voiced in public.

 

Nick Clegg has recently issued a formal apology after he was reported to have called those against gay marriage “bigots”.

Before anything is said which may stir opinion for or against, lets take a quick look at the alternative description offered:

Bigot
Alternatives meanings mentioned in the Thesaurus
Extremist	Diehard	Dogmatist

Mr Clegg’s original statement is undoubtedly contentious. It is easy to jump on the bandwagon, whether you object to or agree with his views or mine.

Being gay is no different from being born with physical impairments, such as blindness, deafness or autism. We have just said goodbye to the London Olympic and Paralympic games. For me it is the most powerful reminder that tolerance for prejudice and insensitive opinion is not acceptable.

If politicians wish to recognise civil partnership as a legal alternative for marriage, I see no reason to object.

Personally speaking (call it an accident of birth, if you must), I was baptised and subsequently confirmed as a Christian. I have to remain obedient to ancient and modern Christian teaching tradition. Marriage in our circles is commonly referred to as “Holy Matrimony”.  It is closely linked to the duties freely accepted when entering into a union between a man and a woman. It is a Sacrament instituted by God and firmly acknowledged by His prophets and ministers/priests throughout the ages.

By law, men and women have entered into a legal contact, known as marriage for many centuries. For me, such a deed is not complete until I have also made that pledge in a church, in the presence of our Lord, His appointed minister and my Christian brothers and sisters.

Please do not expect me to accept a civil partnership as being equal to “Holy Matrimony”, more commonly referred to as marriage.

As author of this blog I freely admit that I am a cradle Christian, brought up in the tradition of the Dutch reformed church. Deo gratia, I was prepared for catechism by an Anglican priest in Scotland and my "First Communion" was in my home church in the Netherlands on 20^th April 1975. I acknowledge that I live in a democratic country where opinions are tolerated and not slavishly suppressed.

At Easter 2011 I was accepted into the Catholic Christian tradition and find myself on a very steep learning curve.  The core thinking which I/we need to keep in our sight is voiced most clearly in our Lord’s Prayer:

"Forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive  those who trespass against us"