A bid to protect the right of religious
schools not to teach that same-sex marriage and opposite marriage are
equivalent has been rejected by the House of Commons.
The bid was one of a number voted on
yesterday during a debate on the British government’s same-sex
marriage bill.
The failure to win an explicit
protection for religious schools means they may one day be forced to
teach that same-sex marriage and opposite-sex marriage are
equivalent.
In addition, attempts to create legal
safeguards for individuals teachers and registrars who don’t
believe in same-sex marriage were also defeated.
These were among a series of amendments
to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill tabled yesterday.
The Bill has caused a major rebellion
within the ranks of the Conservative party with roughly 150 MPs
opposed to the measure, in additions to rank and file party members.
The amendments were defeated thanks to
opposition from the Labour party, the Liberal Democrats and the
remaining Conservative MPs.
The votes came after group of Church
leaders warned that thousands of young Christians who believe in
traditional marriage will think twice before taking public sector
jobs.
Introducing the new clauses,
Conservative MP David Burrowes claimed there was a “chill wind”
blowing in the country for those who disagree with same-sex marriage
and that registrars “will remember this not as a marriage bill
but as an unfair dismissal bill,” the BBC reports.
He asked his colleagues to “stand
with the greats of our political heritage to defend the whole breadth
of society”.
But Labour MP Stephen Doughty, who
served on the public bill committee which examined the legislation at
committee, said he felt it was “a permissive, protecting bill”.
“I do draw the House’s attention
to the fact that opponents of the bill, those scrutinising it, did
take up the vast majority of the time in the public bill committee
raising their concerns – those were listened to. There was a deep
degree of listening,” Mr Doughty pointed out.
Conservative MP Nick Herbert urged: “In
providing these protections for the exercise of conscience we do not
do a great injustice and actually allow the language and the
expression of language and attitudes that have actually caused a
great deal of unhappiness.”
Other Members suggested the bill as
currently worded was too unclear.
Lib Dem Simon Hughes spoke of “some
nervousness that protection is not sufficient” and said he was
looking for “more than a little reassurance”, before Labour
MP Robert Flello expressed concern that “in reality the
protection may be very narrow in scope”.
Shadow Home Office minister Chris
Bryant began his wind-up speech for Labour by saying: “We
believe in equality under the law, a vital principle.”
“Not much teaching should be
preaching,” Mr Bryant said, before adding: “Conscience is
the most important thing that trumps everything else and if that’s
the case why would you want someone to merely adhere to a line and be
indoctrinated?”
Replying for the government, Culture
Minister Hugh Robertson stressed: “We have been listening
extremely carefully to all the concerns that have been expressed.”
Mr Robertson explained that under the
terms of the bill, mechanisms were already in place to ensure
“teaching in this area should always be balanced and sensitive”.
But on the question of registrars, he
told the House: “I do not believe it is appropriate or right to
allow registrars to opt out of conducting same-sex marriages either
permanently or on a transitional basis. Like it or not, they are
public servants who should carry out the will of Parliament.”
The new clause on teachers was then
withdrawn. The new clause allowing registrars to opt out was put to a
division and defeated by 340 votes to 150.
A new clause seeking to protect the
belief that marriage is between a man and a woman under the Equality
Act was rejected by 339 votes to 148.
Earlier, in a letter to the Daily
Telegraph, 17 Church ministers and one archbishop expressed their
concern about the consequences if the Marriage (Same Sex Couples)
Bill is passed in its current state.
The letter said: “If the Bill passes
into law without much clearer protections for freedom of speech and
freedom of belief, teachers and public-sector workers will have to
choose between their conscience and their career, as many will be
deterred from a public-service career or from charity involvement.”
The Church leaders said there are
150,000 in their combined congregations, 50,000 of whom are aged
between 13 and 30.
The letter said: “For many in this
rising generation, marriage is the union of sexual opposites, and the
thread that binds generations”.
The letter was signed by The Rt Revd
Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, Revd Vaughan Roberts rector of
St Ebbe’s Oxford, and Revd John Stevens the National Director of
the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches among others.