High Court Judge Rebukes UK Government's Focus on 'Minority Issue' of Gay Marriage
With the continued political push to fully implement gay marriage in the United Kingdom societal leaders are urging for more dialogue regarding the wider cultural problem of the erosion of traditional family structures and accompanying values.
Sir Paul Coleridge, High Court judge and chairman and founder of the Marriage Foundation, has been an outspoken advocate supporting traditional marriage, while his foundation developed programs to quell the rising tide of single parent households in the U.K., which research shows negatively impacts children.
"So much energy and time has been put into this debate for 0.1 percent of the population, when we have a crisis of family breakdown," Coleridge told The Times in an interview.
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"It's gratifying that marriage in any context is center stage … but it [gay marriage] is a minority issue. We need a much more focused position by the Government on the importance of marriage," he added.
The state and future of marriage has been discussed heavily in recent months by various government officials throughout the U.K., while religious institutions simultaneously continue to fight to preserve their religious integrity from being forced to perform ceremonies that defy scripture and conscience.
Prime Minister David Cameron and several members of the British government recently revealed plans to introduce legislation that would legally redefine marriage and allow some religious institutions to perform gay marriage ceremonies, while allowing those who wish not to the opportunity to back out.
That development came about after the British government released the results of a consultation that created calls of impropriety on the part of those charged with facilitating the consultation. Those accusations came after numerous petitions, which gathered several hundreds of thousands of signatures supporting traditional marriage, were seemingly ignored.
"The decision to ignore a petition of half a million people is disgraceful and undemocratic and goes against assurances from civil servants that all submissions would be treated equally and fairly," Colin Hart, Campaign Director of Coalition 4 Marriage, said in a statement soon after the consultation.
"There were serious flaws with the consultation, not only was it loaded in favor of ripping up the centuries-old definition of marriage, but it lacked even the most basic of safeguards to check the identity of those taking part," he added.
But as Coleridge points out the basis of society for generations has been the family structure, with a need presently to focus squarely on maintaining what has been regarded for so long as a pillar of society.
"The breakdown of marriage and its impact on society affects 99.9 percent of the population. That is where the investment of time and money should be, where we really do need resources," Coleridge said.
