Thursday, July 29, 2010

Reflection on Civil Partnership issues

I referred last week to the ‘Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009’, and the fact that the President of Ireland has now signed this Bill into law as the ‘Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010’. Having been rushed through the Dáil (lower house of parliament) without a vote, and having been voted through the Seanad (upper house of parliament) with just four Senators voting against it, following the guillotining of the debate on it, the Bill was passed to the President of Ireland on 14 July 2010. To her eternal shame, Mrs. Mary McAleese, as President of Ireland, signed into law the ‘Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010’ on the morning of 19 July 2010.

When she took office as President, Mrs. McAleese publicly declared that in the presence of Almighty God she solemnly and sincerely promised that she would ‘maintain the Constitution of Ireland and uphold its laws’, and promised that
‘I will fulfil my duties faithfully and conscientiously in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and that I will dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland.’
She then called on God to ‘direct and sustain’ her.
Mrs. McAleese has now reneged on the promises that she made on the occasion of her inauguration as president of Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland declares that:
‘The State recognises the Family as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of Society, and as a moral institution possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, antecedent and superior to all positive law.
‘The State, therefore, guarantees to protect the Family in its constitution and authority, as the necessary basis of social order and as indispensable to the welfare of the Nation and the State. …
‘The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded, and to protect it against attack.’

These statements are a fundamental part of the Constitution that Mrs. McAleese promised to uphold.

The ‘Civil Partnership … Act 2010’ recognises homosexual and lesbian unions as marriages – in all but name, and it is a direct attack on marriage, the family and society. Tax provisions, pension rights, property rights, etc., etc., are to be equally applicable to homosexual and lesbian couples as to a married couple. The term ‘marital status’ is to be replaced by the term ‘civil status’ in all previous relevant legislation, and ‘civil status’ is also used in the new Act, thus implying that the two states are of equal value and merit. However, the homosexual agenda is not fully satisfied by the terms of the Act, and already these people are lobbying for their unions to be legally recognised as ‘marriage’. Christian denominations (the Catholic Church, in particular) are deemed to be backward and discriminatory in not recognising same-sex unions as being quite normal. Some public figures have in fact expressed their hope that Christian denominations might change their antiquated views and row in with the newly triumphant homosexual agenda.
The Irish Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern, is so delighted with himself at having overseen the passage of this appalling Act into law that he has declared that:
‘This is one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation to be enacted since independence. … This Act provides enhanced rights and protections for many thousands of Irish men and women. Ireland will be a better place for its enactment. This new law provides, for the first time, legal recognition for same-sex couples in Ireland. It is of tremendous social significance, for the couples who can now register as partners, for their friends and families – ultimately, for all of us.’
How dare you, Mr. Ahern, speak thus for the vast majority of decent, ordinary, normal people of Ireland?

Irish law now recognises, encourages and rewards the practice of homosexuality, and the acceptance of sex outside marriage.