Remember that not all Christians oppose same-sex marriage – some back it

The opposition from the conservative evangelical group ‘The Christian Institute’ has been reported in this newspaper (‘Clerics ‘could be arrested if they speak out against gay marriage’, January 2) but what is less known is the support by other Christians for same sex couples.

The marriage regulations in Northern Ireland need to respect the religious freedoms of both opponents and supporters. This point was made in the submission sent to all MLAs by the Church of Ireland group ‘Changing Attitude Ireland’. The submission titled”Faith and Marriage: A Church of Ireland call for equality for same sex couples in Northern Ireland” (April 2013) contains the following statement: “We call for churches and other faith groups to be allowed to “opt in” to registering same sex marriages while protecting them from any attempt at compulsion, as this is the best way to respect the religious freedoms of both those who support and those who oppose same-sex marriage”. The proposed marriage regulations in Northern Ireland will protect conservative Christians from compulsion. This is as it should be.

Calls by ‘The Christian Institute’ for additional protections are unwarranted and are not supported by the evidence from the experience in England and in the Republic since the introduction of civil marriage in those jurisdictions.

In contrast, it is the Christian same-sex couples who enter into civil marriage who are vulnerable to discrimination practised by conservative Christians. This is evident in the recent case in Sligo where a church organist, himself a Christian, in a Church of Ireland parish was dismissed after he entered into a civil marriage with his same-sex partner. Unlike the conservative Christians, it is gay Christians who are not protected under the civil law.

Dr Richard O’Leary, Visiting research fellow, School of History, Queen’s University Belfast