IN
the Dail recently Justice Minister Alan Shatter delivered a speech that
inadvertently but comprehensively demonstrated the case against redefining
marriage.
We have said all along that redefining marriage radically
redefines parenthood, attacks the rights of children and attacks freedom of
religion. Minister Shatter’s vision of the family as outlined in his Dail speech
proves this.
- He
sees no special place in Irish law or social policy for motherhood or fatherhood
or the natural ties. - He
has no real understanding of the state of marriage in Ireland
currently. - He
has a very shrivelled view of religious freedom.
The
words ‘mother’ or ‘father’ appear nowhere in his speech. He simply does not seem
to believe that society has any special interest in encouraging men and women to
raise their children together in loving unions.
There is no indication
that he sees the sexual unions of men and women as being different in any
socially significant way from any other kind of sexual union, or indeed from any
other kind of emotional union, period.
He was very far from the mark when
he said in his speech, “we are more deeply attached to marriage as a society
than ever”.
It is true that more of us are married in absolute terms. But
that is only because there are more of us anyway.
However, our marriage
rate is now lower than Britain’s, and Britain’s is the lowest it has ever
been.
More than a third of births are outside marriage. Almost 250,000
Irish people are divorced or separated and our rate of cohabitation has
soared.
If the Minister for Justice is unaware of these facts, or is
prepared to ignore them, then that is deeply worrying. What, if anything, would
compel him to say, we are no longer so attached to marriage? (For a summation of
the state of marriage in Ireland, click here [1]).
On the matter of religious
freedom, he told the Dail that he will ensure religious solemnisers of marriage
don’t have to perform same-sex marriages. The Constitution almost certainly
forces him to do that in any case so it is no real concession.
But what
happens to marriage guidance counsellors, wedding planners, wedding stationers,
florists, photographers? Must they all go along with the proposed redefinition
of marriage or be driven out of the business? The answer appears to be
yes.
So Minister Shatter’s speech shows just how high the stakes are in
this debate and how vitally necessary it is that we play our part in
it.
His speech in full can be read here [2].