Conscience Clause

Homosexual Marriage and the Conscience Clause: a possible compromise?

Turgon on May 24, 2015, 1:10 pm

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So the homosexual marriage referendum passed in the Republic. As Mick noted below this makes Northern Ireland the only place in the UK and Ireland without same sex marriage though not the only place in the British Isles. The Isle of Mann has civil partnership but not homosexual marriage whilst Jersey in the Channel Isles has civil partnerships and is considering homosexual marriage. More interesting perhaps is Guernsey’s proposal of “Union Civile” which allows for partnerships between any two people …

Will Ashers Make Me A Cake…? A Sinful Post

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on March 25, 2015, 10:59 pm

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A thought experiment… I woke up yesterday with a bit of a hangover, I had a lot to drink the night before and was fairly drunk (SIN), I was at a friends partying (SIN) for their birthday. We played a drinking game, you might have heard of it, truth or dare? I was asked when I lost my virginity, I said 16 when it was actually 15 (SIN). To be honest, we were doing some fairly weird shots, one …

Presbyterian Church stops short of endorsing but supports principle of “conscience” bill, calls for reasonable accommodation & debate

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on February 25, 2015, 10:00 pm

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Yesterday, Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor was part of a delegation that met Paul Givan and others in the DUP to discuss the “Conscience Clause” Private Members Bill. Tonight the Presbyterian Church’s Council for Church in Society (the body within the denomination authorised to deliberate and speak on matters of public policy) has published their 22-point response to the consultation. The full text and accompanying statement is on the denomination’s website. The Council’s document is broadly in …

#Soapbox: Why Ashers was right, but the conscience clause was wrong…

Soapbox on February 23, 2015, 12:29 pm

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From reader AJ Fence I am pro gay marriage and pro cake. I think the conscience clause is a horrid little idea that would declare open season on discrimination against LGBT people and even religious people themselves. However, I do believe Ashers bakery should have the right to refuse to bake the cake in question. The Cake By requesting the the slogan “support gay marriage”, this was a cake making a political statement, not a wedding cake. I believe that if …

Gay cake row: best before 27th February

Turgon on February 1, 2015, 5:21 pm

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The infamous gay cake row now has a date for the court case. The legal case between the tax payer funded Quango, the Equality Commission, and Ashers Bakery is set for 26th and 27th February. The charity lobby group the Christian Institute is supporting Ashers and is to hold fundraising events in Belfast, Coleraine, Newry and the Clogher Valley. Meanwhile the Rainbow Project held rallies against Paul Girvan’s Conscience Clause Bill in Belfast, Londonderry, Newry with varying attendances. The rally …

Same sex marriage? No thanks we’re British

The Firemen on January 2, 2015, 6:10 pm

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As of January 1st 2015 Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where same sex marriage remains illegal. A new law on gay marriage came into effect in Scotland in December 2014 and the first same sex weddings were held at 00:01 on Hogmanay. A total of 250 couples have converted their civil partnerships to marriage since the new law – the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill – came into effect on 16 December. Same-sex marriage …