Hobson’s Choice

Once again we are presented with Hobson’s Choice. On the one hand, there is the wicked, intolerant and unsympathetic attitude of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who, as a representative of the Catholic Church, is also a hypocrite protecting those who are child sexual abusers.

On the other there are the fair, tolerant and loving human beings as represented by Hugh MacKenzie (Letters, 6 March). It’s a no-brainer then.

But in the midst of all the name-calling and emotional bullying, perhaps one might be allowed to question the simplistic solution offered.

Given that the age-hold definition of marriage and the current definition of marriage (as enshrined in British law and the UN Declaration of Human Rights) as that of a union between a man and a woman, we ought to be very careful before engaging in the social experiment of redefining marriage.

There are numerous dangers. Handing over to the state the right to redefine marriage means that there is no guarantee that it will not be further redefined a few years down the road.

Indeed, given the rationale and logic of Mr Mackenzie and numerous others, there is no reason why it should not be.

After all, if the only criteria is “people who love one another”, then why should a brother not marry his brother? Why should a woman not have 12 husbands?

Perhaps they too could argue that their sexual preferences were “genetic” and that in order to be fair they too should be allowed to have “marriage” redefined to include them, in the name of fairness and tolerance?

Cardinal Keith O’Brien is to be commended in his standing up for marriage, despite knowing the sadly inevitable abuse and insults that would follow. As a Free Church minister, I thank him and fully support his stance.

David Robertson

Solas CPC

St Peters Free Church

St Peter Street

Dundee