Little civility in the US on gay marriage debate

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/opinion/article2698928.ece

[Belfast Telegraph] 23 June 2007--During the demonstration in Boston, I spoke to an opponent of 'gay marriage' who told me that he despaired of having his point of view heard because the opposition from the homosexual community was so well-organised.

Certainly, that particular Boston lobby, including many people from a wide variety of churches, was skilled in changing the minds of a small number of politicians whose vote swung the verdict in favour of 'gay marriage'.

In the same week that the Boston vote took place, I read in the New York Times that the American Episcopal Church was maintaining its determined stance on same-sex relationships and was arguing that the Anglican Primates had no right to impose their views on a member-church of the Anglican Communion.

The current, and apparently unstoppable, move towards schism within worldwide Anglicanism was triggered by the decision of the USA members to approve the appointment of the openly homosexual Bishop Gene Robinson, despite the pleas of the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and other senior colleagues not to do so.

By going ahead in the way they did, the Americans showed once again a theological imperialism that is so repugnant.