Thursday 6 August 2015

Religious and civil liberty for all

The above was the message on several of the placards and banners outside Belfast Court House this morning being brandied about by supporters of Pastor McConnell.

I was tempted, seeing I was wearing my Rainbow badge to ask if this meant that Pastor McConnell would be supporting my civil right to marry another man, Or go further and even my religious right, if we wanted to, for that marriage to take place within a faith group that would be supportive.

However, I suspect the answer would be no, although I didn't get up the guts to ask it. After all, even though there was press present I don't think being one gay man amongst a throng of 20 protesters would go down too well.

if my suspicion is right, this would mean that the other placardscondemning Sharia law merely mean they don't want one type of religious law to have an impact on civil liberties but they are quite happy for their view of religious law to carry on impacting on mine.

Interestingly when I did cross the road at the cross the protesters were almost causing a complete obstruction of the safe egress off the crossing, which I believe could be a criminal offence under the Highways Act.