Further CUB Discussion

Labour MP Janet Mackey has attacked her own colleagues accusing gay MPs of hijacking the Civil Union Bill. She also said the Government is”spending more time engaged in social engineering than on good legislation.

What a number of people have mentioned to me (including several MPs) is that what is annoying people is the Beehive spin that a Civil Union is nothing to do with marriage. Of course it is a marriage in all but name. And I have no problems with that.

Several MPs have also argued it is not the role of the state to recognise relationships. I can have some sympathy for that argument. Jim Peron has posted an excellent article on this issue pointing out how libertarians may not want the state to own schools either, but while they do, they should be available to all.

Meanwhile Cardinal Williams has attacked “The Spiritual Bankruptcy of Liberalism” and likened liberals to barbarians – “The perennial work of the barbarian is to tear down existing standards”

I suppose I should point out that one can strongly believe in high moral standards, but also strongly believe the state should not be used by churches to impose such standards.

There is also further criticism of Ashraf Choudhary for not turning up to vote. I am led to understand that he may be supportive of civil unions but did not vote so not to upset the Muslim community.

If so, this is a huge pity. As I posted previously on Islam, it will only change if its leaders take a stand against fundamentalism, and an MP is part of that leadership. I also note several Muslims saying they would respect him more for voting and explaining, rather than not voting at all.