RELIGIOUS leaders who want to be able to conduct gay weddings have rounded on the hierarchy of the Catholic Church for seeking to deny them that right.
Representatives of five faith groups launched the Equal Marriage Scotland campaign at the offices of the Scottish Youth Parliament, which has made the issue a key campaigning theme.
There in a personal capacity was Bishop Richard Holloway, whose Scottish Episcopal Church is still debating the issue, who cited the changing status of women and the abolition of slavery as issues on which churches were slow to change.
He said: “Within a few days of the Government announcing this consultation a lot of publicity was generated by the opposition to the idea by the bishops of the Catholic Church.”
Citing the Social Attitudes Survey of 2006, he added: “It is worth pointing out the majority of Catholics disagree with their own bishops on this. Christians who oppose gay marriage will, in time, be shown to be on the wrong side of history.”
Praising the Scottish Government, he said the law should be changed to allow religious bodies who wish to conduct same sex marriage ceremonies to do so, while protecting the rights of churches who opposed this.
Suzanne Dance, facilitator of the Buddhist Community of Interbeing, also spoke in a personal capacity in favour of the change.
Tim Hopkins of the Equality Network said five groups had been invited to the event on the basis they already supported the principle of equal marriage. They were the Scottish Unitarians, the Liberal Jewish Community, the Quakers, the Metropolitan Community Church and the Pagan Federation.
The Rev Maud Robinson of the Unitarians said: “We fully recognise the right of other faith communities to refuse to officiate at such marriages without penalty, but not their right to impose their views on others.”
Rabbi Mark Solomon said: “Extending the freedom to marry to same-sex couples will make Scotland a fairer, stronger and better country.”
The Rev Jane Clarke of the Metropolitan Community Church said: “We welcome the opportunity to solemnise marriage for those within the LGBT community who wish a religious ceremony. LGBT folks should be entitled to the same marriage options as other folk.”
The Rev Troy Perry, who founded the Metropolitan Community Church in Los Angeles in 1968, spoke of how he had been forced to go to Toronto in order to marry his partner.
“I had to leave my own country in order to marry,” he said. “I am proud of the Scottish Government for what they are doing.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “I welcome the contribution that these five religious groups have made to the debate and I hope this will be an important step in our fight for equality for all.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have published a consultation on same-sex marriage and religious ceremonies for civil partnerships, and made clear that we tend towards the view same-sex marriage should be introduced.
“However, we are aware that, for religious reasons, some faith groups and celebrants may not want to solemnise same-sex marriages, and that is why we are making it clear they should not be obliged to do so.
“We recognise there will be a range of views on the consultation proposals, and we want to hear the views from all sections of Scottish society. No final views have been reached and no decisions have been taken.”
A spokesman for the Catholic Church said it would not be commenting on the claims made by the religious groups.
A consultation on changing the law in England and Wales is to be launched next year but the intention is only to allow same-sex weddings in registry offices.
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