Wednesday 6 February 2013

Read SPUC's tweets from yesterday's same-sex marriage debate

Below I reproduce the tweets @spucprolife by Anthony Ozimic, SPUC's communications manager, during yesterday's Second Reading debate on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill:
  • Miller doesn't understand that secondary/incidental changes to marriage law doesn't change timeless core of marriage = heterosexual
  • Miller quotes opinion of QCs Kennedy, Lester and Pannick. Unconvincing: they're the usual suspects from the pro-gay/anti-family lobby.
  • No mention in Miller's introductory speech of the unique reason why society privileges marriage: protection of children, born & unborn
  • Lot of fluffiness from rad fem Yvette Cooper re confetti, biscuits, parties, rubber chickens etc. Just killed her PM ambitions, one hopes.
  • Repeated confusion btwn benefits of marriage (commitment, stability) and nature of marriage (complementary union ordered towards children)
  • Mention of books written for children promoting gay relationships. Coming to a school near you if marriage (& thus family) redefined.
  • Yvette Cooper warns anti-SSM churches that "religious freedom goes both ways". Must not prevent state from redefining marriage.
  • Yvette Cooper confuses legal reforms of practice of marriage with false idea that core of marriage (i.e. heterosexual) can change.
  • Discredited Marxist theory of social change being used to justify what even the original Marxists didn't dream of (gay marriage).
  • Robert Flello MP: Marriage more than just love & commitment. Gay marriage redefines everyone's marriage by reducing it to a relationship.
  • Steve Gilbert MP defames upholders of marriage status quo as "those who would hoard privilege". More souped-up Marxist ramblings.
  • Sir Roger Gale MP: assurances that civil partnerships would not lead to same-sex marriage have been broken.
  • Natascha Engel MP: gay couples can raise children just as well as straight couples. Thus fathers and mothers are just interchangeable carers
  • Nick Herbert MP also confuses reforms of secondary aspects of marriage law with abolishing fundamental nature & purpose of marriage
  • Stephen Doughty MP implied that it was the state's prerogative to extend marriage. But marriage doesn't belong to the state.
  • Edward Leigh MP: we must be careful to ensure that law and reality do not conflict. Gay marriage bill tries to change essence of marriage.
  • Gay marriage bill is not evolution but revolution, says Edward Leigh MP. Marriage exists for sake of children. Not just for love or sex.
  • Pro-SSM MPs rattled that their seats now in danger at the next election. We like rattling.
  • Jim Shannon MP: letters against gay marriage = largest mail-bag I've received in all my years as MP and MLA.
  • Simon Hughes MP used Lincoln film to draw historical lesson re gay marriage. He needs to read real history not the Hollywood spin.
  • Craig Whittaker MP: marriage already being eroded so state shouldn't be making situation worse by changing nature of marriage
  • Stephen Timms: marriage exists for children but SSM bill barely mentions children.
  • Gay relationships are not the same as marriage, they are different, says Stephen Timms MP.
  • Clear implication of Fiona Mactaggart MP interjection is that gay marriage will redefine the family by redefining marriage
  • Not exactly the most intelligent or original speech being given by Emma Reynolds MP re gay marriage
  • John Glen MP: received incredible vitriol simply for upholding marriage as it is.
  • David Lammy MP repeating his low-quality performance back during the Mental Capacity Bill. Comparing anti-SSM to racism. What a bore.
  • Chris Bryant MP conspicuously omits Book of Common Prayer text: "First, [marriage] was ordained for the procreation of children" @His_Grace
  • William McCrea MP: quoting Bible in Parliament often met with laughter, scorn, intolerance by MPs. Biblical marriage has served UK well.
  • MT @RhoslynThomas: BBC radio 4 playing the wedding march as they announce the SSM bill.
  • Stewart Jackson MP: comparing opposition to gay marriage to racism is complete nonsense.
  • Catholic adoption agencies "smashed on the altar of political correctness", says Stewart Jackson MP
  • David Simpson MP: neither Parliament nor Government has the (moral) jurisdiction to redefine marriage
  • Sarah Wollaston MP lowers debate by wheeling out old case of Alan Turing's chemical castration and suicide. Emotional blackmail.
  • Ian Paisley Jnr MP: Government cannot change nature. Refining marriage is a nonsense which will damage marriage.
  • Willie Bain MP claiming maj. support for SSM among Catholics. But such surveys usually don't distinguish btwn practising RCs and lapsed RCs
  • Andrew Selous MP quotes Jesus' definition of marriage as between man & woman. Not merely a cultural norm but God's design from Creation.
  • Matthew Offord MP: a flexible redefinition of marriage will lead to calls for further redefinitions e.g. polygamy, polyamory
  • Eric Ollerenshaw MP should've studied the canon law and practice of the Catholic Church re marriage rather than ramble incoherently about it
  • Pro-SSM MP Brooks Newmark quotes Orwell's Animal Farm. But Orwell would have opposed the state's power-grab of marriage from the people
  • Andrea Leadsom MP: no mandate and no public clamour for same-sex marriage
  • Bob Blackman MP: I've received 1000 letters against gay marriage, only 6 in favour
  • Richard Drax MP: element of token politics in parliamentary push to redefine marriage
  • Teachers who refuse to teach lessons about gay marriage will be disadvantaged, says Richard Drax MP
  • Equalities spokeswoman Kate Green caricatures traditional definition of marriage as religious. Repeats nonsense that marriage evolves
  • MPs now voting on whether to give the same-sex marriage bill a second reading
  • 400 ayes, 175 noes on same-sex marriage bill 2nd reading
  • MPs now voting on the government's programme motion (timetable of forthcoming stages of the bill)
  • RT ‏@Gillibrand #marriagevote Parliament has just voted to defy natural law, acting way beyond their powers.
  • MT @ProtectthePope: Shame on House of Commons - 400 for same-sex marriage, 175 against. Children will pay the price.
  • MT @labourwhips: Preliminary figues suggest Cameron failed to get majority of Tory MPs. 139 voting No, 132 Yes.
  • MT @LouiseMensch: David Cameron secures his place in history. > As PM who wrecked marriage in law for generations as yet unborn.
  • Programme motion: ayes 499, 55 noes
  • RT ‏@c4mtweets Blog» C4M delighted by the scale of the Parliamentary opposition to redefining marriage bill: Res... http://bit.ly/11QZbrt  #C4M #Marriage
  • RT ‏@c4mtweets Blog» Gay marriage vote, ‘a disaster for Cameron’ says C4M: Tonight, 175 MPs voted against the Bi... http://bit.ly/11QZbHK  #C4M #Marriage
  • Pro- #family MPs fight back in same-sex #marriage debate http://www.spuc.org.uk/news/releases/2013/february05 … #prolife
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