Volume 14 Issue 2 24 December 2012
Government Progress Marriage Plans The Government has released it’s second consultation on redefining marriage. This time it aims to identify safeguards for those who will be affected by changing the meaning of marriage in law. It is important not to lose sight of the fact that it is wrong in principle to undermine the fundamental institution of society and until recently the duty to uphold marriage would have been understood as an obligation placed on governments by international human rights standards. The consultation paper makes safeguards focus on the protection of clergy who may be pressured to conduct samesex ceremonies but the reality is that the concerns are much wider and affect all members of society not just religious celebrants. For example employees should not face discrimination at work because they support traditional marriage, neither should parents be criticised by schools for refusing to allow their children to take part in lessons which promote same-sex marriage. Organisations and people of all religious traditions must retain their freedom to speak and act according to their religious beliefs. The consultation paper can be responded to online at https:// consult.scotland.gov.uk/family-law/marriagebill. We will be making information available on our website to assist people to respond the consultation. Below are some reasons for opposing any change in the law which have been identified by Scotland for Marriage.
Why it’s Wrong to Redefine Marriage
Parliament in View
CATHOLIC PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE
Impact on schools Education guidance from the Scottish Government says schools should teach about the importance of marriage. If marriage is given a new definition, schools will be under huge pressure to teach about same sex marriage. According to expert legal advice, any teacher who fails to endorse same-sex marriage in the classroom could be dismissed. Parents will have no legal right to withdraw their children from lessons which endorse same-sex marriage across the curriculum. Already supporters of gay marriage are recommending books for use in schools which undermine traditional marriage, and call on schools to get children to act out gay weddings. The effect on schools will be polarising and divisive. Thin end of the wedge If we redefine marriage once, what s to stop marriage being redefined yet further? If marriage is solely about love and commitment between consenting adults, what s to say we shouldn’t recognise three way relationships? It s already happened in nations that redefined marriage. In Brazil, a three way relationship was given marriage like recognition under civil partnership laws. A similar situation has existed in the Netherlands for several years. In Canada after marriage was redefined, a polygamist argued in court that his relationship should be recognised in law. When politicians meddle with marriage it all starts to unravel. Marginalises the majority Calling opponents bigots is meant to shut down debate and stop people thinking for themselves. Nick Clegg landed in hot water over a draft speech which called opponents of redefining marriage bigots . He later retracted
the word, but there s no doubt that many who support this radical agenda think anyone who disagrees is not worthy of respect. Cardinal Keith O’Brien was labelled bigot of the year by gay rights activists, Stonewall. However, support for traditional marriage has come from many respected academics, lawyers, politicians from across the political spectrum, and religious leaders. They all know that redefining marriage would have a profound impact. A huge change to society Since we already have civil partnerships, isn’t same-sex marriage just a small logical next step? No. Rewriting the meaning of marriage will have a far-reaching impact on society. Over 3,000 UK laws make reference to marriage. The UK Government has already admitted that official documents will need to be rewritten to remove words like husband and wife. In France the Government is eradicating the words ‘father and mother from all official documents. Freedom of conscience will be eroded The civil liberty of people who believe in traditional marriage is already being eroded. The former leader of the SNP, Gordon Wilson, was ousted from the Dundee Citizens Advice Bureau because of his support for traditional marriage. South of the border, a housing manager from Manchester was demoted and lost 40 per cent of his salary for stating, outside work time, that same-sex marriage in churches were an equality too far .And all this has taken place before any change to the law has taken place. What will it be like if the law does change? A leading human rights lawyer has outlined the devastating impact of redefining marriage on civil liberties in Scotland. This information can be obtained soon from our website which is presently being redesigned.
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Jumping on the Abortion Bandwagon Following the tragic death of Mrs Savita Halappanavar, Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale put forward a motion in the Scottish Parliament which “supports the work of abortion rights groups across Scotland; notes the UK Abortion Act 1967 and the equality, autonomy and freedom it considers that it has given women over the past 45 years, and believes both in the principle of a women’s right to choose and, specifically, the right to access safe abortion...” A further 33 MSPs, including the leaders of both The Scottish Lib Dems and Green Party, have chosen to attach their names to this motion. Rather tellingly, the motion makes no mention of the tragic death of her unborn baby. The common default position of any politician is to urge that all parties wait for the results of the relevant inquiry – not this time. Before the various inquiries and investigations that are currently taking place have had a chance to be concluded, 33 Scottish MSPs have taken it upon themselves to tell Ireland how best to interpret their abortion laws. It is shameful that they have chosen to exploit two tragic deaths in order to jump on the bandwagon of the anti-life lobby and thus use this
tragedy to promote the many others which would result from a policy of abortion on demand. Abortion always leads to the death of an innocent child and creates a further victim of the woman who will often
experience emotional and psychological distress in relation to the ‘choice’ she has made. It has not yet been established that the termination of her pregnancy would, in fact, have saved Mrs Halappanavar’s life. What is clear is that whereas abortion is the direct and intentional destruction of an unborn baby and is gravely immoral in all circumstances, this is different from
medical treatments which do not directly and intentionally seek to end the life of the unborn baby. Current law and medical guidelines in Ireland allow nurses and doctors in Irish hospitals to apply this vital distinction in practice while upholding the equal right to life of both a mother and her unborn baby. This is also the express teaching of The Catholic Church which values the dignity of every human life. So there is no need for a change in the law and in fact, the people of Ireland have already had the opportunity to vote in 5 separate referendums which has led to the current settled opinion. It would be welcome if our MSPs truly respected the democratic process but in this they have already been found wanting. First, The Scottish Government on same-sex marriage and then Margo MacDonald on assisted suicide chose to misinterpret and disregard the results of their respective consultation processes. The message they have given is that everyone has a valid viewpoint providing it is anti-life or anti-religious conviction. It is worth noting that international statistics confirm that Ireland remains one of the safest countries in the world in which to be pregnant and to give birth. If only the same could be said of Scotland.
Social Capital Exploring dimensions of social capital in Scotland — Research Findings no. 20/2012 is a recent publication from the Scottish Government. The document has highlighted the concept of "social capital" as being important for society and for its policy makers. The authors say that social capital, for an individual, encompasses such things as strong social networks and shared norms and trust. It can exist with family and close friends, with people with more distant ties, such as work colleagues and with people in the wider local community. There is a recognition, which underpins much of the Scottish Government's strategic thinking, for example in addressing health inequalities, that investment in strong social capital is important for society. The study used data from both the 2009 Scottish Social Attitudes survey and the 2010 Scottish Household survey and identified dimensions which contributed to the concept of social capital and looked at how they varied geographically, socioeconomically and by age. Social networks and social support were Page 2
seen as linked to social capital. Positive relationships, support, and cooperation were seen as important factors in this context.
The dimension of social trust was highlighted. In particular the extent to which people felt they could trust others was seen as important. Another aspect which was seen as contributing to social capital was involvement in community and civic life. This included such things as leisure and social activities and voluntary activities and an individual's perception of their ability to influence local issues.
A further dimension of social capital was how positive people felt about their own local area, for example in the context of anti-social behaviour. The researchers found that the distribution of social capital varies significantly across socio economic and demographic groups in Scotland. It noted three key findings. People living in rural areas consistently indicated higher levels of social capital, especially in remote areas, than those in large urban areas. People living in the least deprived areas had higher levels of social capital than those in the most deprived areas. People educated to degree level generally had higher levels of social capital than those with no educational qualifications. Also they found that patterns of social capital by age were not uniform. Among its conclusions the paper made the point that policy makers need to examine, and understand better, the variations in social capital between different groups and how this works when designing and implementing policies.
PARLIAMENT IN VIEW
Current Legislation Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 1 (Subordinate Legislation Committee) 18 December Stage 1 (evidence, lead committee (Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment)) 19 December Forth Road Bridge Bill (G) Introduced 11 December Freedom of Information (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 2 completed 5 December High Hedges (Scotland) Bill (M) Stage 1 (evidence, lead committee (Local Government and Regeneration)) 19 December Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 1 (lead committee (Finance)) 5 December Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 1 (lead committee (Education and Culture)) 11 December Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Bill (G) Stage 2 completed 13 November Stage 3 amendments may now be lodged with the clerks in the Legislation Team (Legislation_Team@scottish.parliament.uk ) Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Bill (G) Passed 28 November Water Resources (Scotland) Bill (G) Stage 1 (Subordinate Legislation Committee) 18 December Stage 1 (debate, meeting of the Parliament) 19 December Stage 1 Report – Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee (11th Report, 2012) (G) = Government Bill; (M) = Member’s Bill; (C) = Committee Bill; (P) = Private Bill; (H) = Hybrid Bill.
Consultation on the Purchase of Sex A new law that aims to tackle prostitution and human trafficking in Scotland was recently open for consultation and closed on 14th December. It is the first main stage of a bill being proposed by Rhoda Grant MSP as a Member’s Bill. A Member’s Bill is a Bill introduced by an individual MSP. This can be contrasted with a Government bill, which is introduced to Parliament by the Government. Before introducing a Member’s Bill, the MSP must first lodge a draft proposal and then a final proposal. The draft proposal must be accompanied by a consultation document. This bill aims ‘to tackle the demand for prostitution’ in Scotland and to tackle sexually motivated criminal behaviour in Scotland, specifically in the form human trafficking. Prostitution and human trafficking appear to be two separate issues, however they are inter-
linked. Where prostitution is permitted or even tolerated human trafficking for sex inevitably follows.
The proposed legislation supports the 'Swedish Model' which criminalises the buyers of sex rather than the sellers. The consultation further explains the reasons why prostitution is so harmful. The reason
prostitution is so harmful is because it creates a market whereby ‘...vulnerable individuals are compelled and/or forced into a cycle of exploitation that places them, and their families, at risk.’ In an ever increasing secular society that promotes hedonistic values the Catholic Parliamentary Office welcomes the attention being given to the morality and legality of purchasing sex. A main theme of Catholic Social Teaching is the inherent value, worth and dignity of each of God’s human beings. This means that God is present in every person. Prostitution damages the dignity of both the person who engages in it and the buyer, reducing the prostitute to a mere instrument of sexual pleasure and lust.
News in Brief MSP Kevin Stewart tabled a motion to have Parliament support “ Transgender Day of Remembrance” which the motion reveals is marked on the 20th November and aims to “memorialise those who have been killed as a result of transphobia, or the hatred or fear of transgender and gender non-conforming people”. In the same vein Mary Fee MSP used a Motion to congratulate Scottish Transgender Alliance on hosting “Scotland’s First Trans Health Conference”. ********* Scottish Parliamentarians debated the importance of St Andrew to mark the feast of Scotland’s patron saint. During the good-natured debate MSP Willie Coffey stated that “Some years ago, I had the pleasure of standing beneath the magnificent statue of St Andrew in the Vatican, which was unveiled in 1640 and above which is a relic from the cross on which he was martyred by the Romans. That led me to appreciate the close association that Scotland has with him.” ********* Earlier this year the Scottish government endorsed what sounds like an extremely challenging recommendation that Scottish children should be learning a second language from Primary 1 and a third language by Primary 5. The Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee has now launched an inquiry aimed at examining whether the capacity and resources exist to meet such an ambitious target. ********** VOLUME 14 ISSUE 2 Page for 3 a The Scottish Parliament has a new MSP, Jayne Baxter replaces John Park the Labour MSP who has resigned to take up a post working Trade Union.
C ATH O LI C P AR LI AME NTA R Y O FF IC E
Towards a Just Economic Order Challenges of Catholic Social Teaching
John Deighan Parliamentary Officer 5 St Vincent Place GLASGOW G1 2DH
A Year of Faith Conference
Tel./Fax: 0141 222 2182 Mobile: 07930 405 313 Email: jdeighan@rcpolitics.org
More details soon.
An agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
Charity Number: SCO 16650 Edited by John Deighan with contributions from Lucille McQuade, Tom Higgins, Fr Paul Brooks and Michael J Robinson
Merry Christmas Recommended Reading
12th & 13th April 2013 St Augustine’s High School Edinburgh Top speakers examining economic issues from an ethical perspective.
A broad range of workshops dealing with issues such as ethical banking, hunger, poverty, economic justice etc
A joint venture of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, Justice and Peace Commission and SCIAF
The Consultation Process Consultations are important and essential part of the democratic process in Scotland. Given the wide-ranging areas of work of the Scottish Government, there are many consultations. The issues the Government can consult the public on include; Devolved issues include: health education, family, housing, economic development and justice. Indeed, when government departments change or make policy they ‘listen’ to your views via a consultation. You can read the consultation paper about what government wants to do and then provide opportunities for all those who wish to express their opinions on a proposed area of work to do so. A list of the current consultations with closing dates can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current. The Scottish Government consultation on the draft Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill was published on the 12th December 2012. You can find the bill and the other consultation documents here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/ Publications/2012/12/9433/downloads#res410331 The bill introduces same-sex marriage in Scotland, available in civil, religious and belief (for example humanist) ceremonies. The bill also allows civil partnerships to be registered in religious and belief ceremonies. Under the plans, religious bodies would need to "opt in" to perform same-sex marriages. Scottish ministers have insisted that the Catholic Church would not be forced to hold same-sex weddings in churches.
The Hobbit is the latest film sensation which brings to screen the modern Classic written by Catholic author JRR Tolkien. It is an exciting adventure for young and old which uses mythology to present the perennial challenges of the battle between good and evil in everyone’s life.
The Infant Narratives completes the Holy Father’s trilogy Jesus of Nazareth and it is fittingly published in time for Christmas to make an ideal gift and source of spiritual inspiration.
Consultations (with closing date) Redesigning the Community Justice System – Scotland (30/04/2013) Proposals for Licensing Air Weapons in Scotland (08/03/2013) Renewables Obligation Banding Review - Consultation on a new band for innovative offshore wind generation in Scottish waters (07/03/2013) Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill (20/03/2013) The EU Dairy Package (21/01/2013) A Consultation on Tax Management (12/04/2013) Consultation on The Draft Scottish Marine Regions Order 2013 (28/02/2013) Police Investigations and Review Commissioner - Proposals for Regulations Relating to Investigations (14/01/2013) Taxi and Private Hire Car Licensing - Proposals for Change (15/03/2013) Supporting Business – Promoting Growth (22/02/2013) Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2013 (18/02/2013) Review of Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (Nuts) Boundaries 2012 (14/01/2013) Protecting our Resources – Consultation on a Scottish Landfill Tax (15/01/2013) Recyclate Quality Action Plan - Consultation Paper (28/12/2012) Renewables Obligation Banding Review - Supplementary Consultation - October 2012 (11/01/2013)
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