Bin idea of gay marriage 
in church

IT seems that, on our road to Armageddon, the Government is to go ahead with legislation which would mean that homosexual relationships would be blessed by the Church. That is the Anglican Church. I wonder how many more religions take that stance.

So be it. But it is not right to call it marriage, which, according to the Oxford dictionary is “the legal union between a man and a woman in order to live together and have children”.

It looks as though we are not only defying the laws of nature in this exercise but attempting to alter our long-held vocabulary at the drop of a hat.

I have no problem with same-sex relationships, or any relationships for that matter as long as they are kept within the home and private, but I think this is a step too far.

The proposers of this legislation say that most of the country would support it. I doubt if that is the case, but I may be wrong.

If I am wrong, it would seem that everything I have been taught in my early years carries very little weight in our permissive society and I am surprised that the Conservative Party who have always taken the high moral ground are attempting to push this through the Commons. Let’s hope that the wiser heads in the Lords will throw it in the bin where it belongs.

From: Maxwell Laurie, Victoria Terrace, Cockfield, County Durham.

THE Government’s reported initiatives (Yorkshire Post, December 8) to allow churches and other religious bodies to decide who may or may not be married under their auspices must in all consistency also set aside the recent shameful ruling that the Charity Commissioners may discriminate against the right of those bodies and agencies with whom to place children for adoption or fostering.

From: Steve Waldenberg, Evesham Croft, Bridlington.

THERE is one problem that I can see in the “same sex marriage” proposal. After a regular marriage service, the officiant, whether clergy or registrar says: “I now pronounce you husband and wife”. What, I ask, will the phrase be after a same-sex marriage?

Do not rush to judge jobless

From: Richard Bridge, Holgate Road, York.

WHEN George Osborne cut benefits, tax credits and maternity pay in real terms (Yorkshire Post, December 6), it reflected a consensus that showing support for unemployed people is politically toxic.

We have grown accustomed to hearing about “hard-working families” and “alarm clock Britain”. That is not to say there is a huge issue of low-pay, underemployment and lack of affordable childcare.

However, the lack of political and media mainstream discourse on the living standards of the unemployed betrays an uncaring society. Unemployment can happen to everyone.

The vast majority of unemployed are desperate to find work. “Doing the right thing” is not an exclusive club that the employed belong to.

If we use the myths of laziness, we must investigate the facts. Inter-generational worklessness is less than 0.3 per cent. In any case, it is naïve to suggest there are not bad apples in all echelons of society. Take a look at politicians or non-taxpaying multinationals.

Before we rush to judge the very poorest, we should consider the ramifications if we cast them adrift without a stake in society. And maybe reflect on the fact that Jobseekers’ Allowance accounts for three per cent of the welfare bill whereas pensioner benefits are more than 40 per cent.

Election result in balance

From: Mark Andrew, Manor Heath Road, Halifax.

YOUR report (Yorkshire Post, December 8) revealing that Cyril Smith could have faced charges in 1970 makes interesting reading as it was that year he first contested Rochdale as the Liberal candidate.

Having been a senior Labour member of Rochdale Council, he had fallen out with them and formed an independent group. He managed to persuade the Liberals to drop their candidate and to stand in his place.

As I was the Conservative candidate throughout that period, I do recall “leaked talk” about him. He was well known in Rochdale as “Our Cyril” and it was like having Gracie Fields as my opponent. The result being that the long-standing MP Jack McCann retained the seat with Cyril the runner-up, taking a good number of our expected votes in key wards.

So if he had been charged before the election would I have become The Hon Member for Rochdale?