Marriage vote

I am delighted and proud that our Scottish Parliament voted overwhelmingly to progress the marriage equality bill (your report, 21 November).

Despite insisting that their opposition is not simple homophobia, MSPs such as Elaine Smith have offered no cogent explanation as to the mechanics of how equality would have a “detrimental impact on our 
fragile society”.

Instead, they hide behind inflated concerns about protection for those religious celebrants who don’t wish to take part. Who would want to stand in front of a unwilling celebrant?

However much some might wish to the contrary, there will always be gay people and to deny equal access to the iconic celebration of marriage would only prolong unhappiness and a sense of otherness for young gay people and embarrassment for the many decent Christians who support the bill.

Neil Barber

Saughtonhall Drive

Edinburgh

For decades, marriage has been weakened by our culture of convenience and this demoted marriage to little more than emotional intensity or legal privileges.

We should remember that marriage is about the needs of children rather than merely the desires of adults, yet marriage continues to be mocked and undermined after a majority of MSPs approved the first stage of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill.

How truly saddening that 98 of our MSPs appear to believe marriage is about nothing more than the love and commitment between two people, irrespective of gender.

Truth betold, marriage brings a man and a woman together as husband and wife to be father and mother to any children their union produces.

Marriage is based on the
biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the reality that children need a mother and a father. Marriage is the building block of all human civilisation.

Marriage has public, not just private, purposes. Marriage is a unique relationship; it brings together sexually complementary spouses, in a monogamous relationship, where they pledge to each other to be faithful by vows of permanence and exclusivity.

The vast majority of people in Scotland know this and it is a crying shame the vast majority of our MSPs do not.

Martin Conroy

Oldhamstocks

East Lothian