A coalition of groups opposed to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in France have come together to stand 
up for the freedom of conscience of religious individuals and institutions who could find themselves the target of ‘anti-discrimination’ legislation.
Entitled Objection, the coalition has put together a manifesto outlining the threats posed by the government’s passage of same-sex legislation.
The group is also planning yet another demonstration in Paris on the 26th of May to protest against the new law.
Two previous demonstrations have attracted hundreds of thousands of people each.
Same-sex marriage legislation was passed by both houses of the French parliament last month and is on the point of becoming law despite the huge opposition against it.
The Objection manifesto says that the new legislation will compel elected councillors to carry out same-sex marriages against their conscience. It also says that teachers will be forced to teach same-sex marriage in school, and that parents will obliged to accept this curriculum.
It warns that “freedom of speech will be restricted on issues concerning morality and family” and that the freedom of private schools will be threatened.
The manifesto adds that proposals by the Socialist government to introduce euthanasia will also lead to an attack on the current right ofthe medical profession to refuse to collaborate with abortion and euthanasia.
In other countries, freedom of conscience has already been weakened by the introduction of such laws.
Catholic adoption agencies in the UK and elsewhere have been forced to shut down because they would not consider homosexual couples.
Also in the UK, a Christian registrar, Lilian Ladele, lost her job because she said she was unwilling to carry out same-sex civil unions.
In New Jersey in the US, a Christian organisation lost its charitable status because it refused to hire out a hall for a celebration of a same-sex civil union.