Right up their nose

I don’t think I can claim any strong feelings on the issue of gay marriage. Two men wanting to get married seems a little bizarre to me, but I’ve turned into a live and let live sort of chap as I’ve grown older. Whatever blows your hair back I say. The argument does seem to inflame people however, particularly those with a Christian conviction it seems. I do have a certain sympathy with the Christian standpoint. They have a rulebook which I suppose must be important to them. All this presents a problem though doesn’t it. It was fine when homosexuality was anti social. The church could be anti gay with impunity, but they can’t anymore and it appears to be getting right up their collective nose.

The Telegraph today reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury has claimed that the, “law has no right to legalise same-sex marriage”. That’s an astounding thing to say isn’t it? What the hell does he mean? Is he suggesting that the law simply cannot be changed to allow gay marriage, because I would suggest he’s talking out of his arse if he is. I can’t see what else he can possibly mean. It’s not just me is it, that really is an extraordinary claim to make isn’t it?

And while we’re on the subject, according to the BBC, two Catholic midwives have lost their legal battle to allow them to avoid taking part in abortion procedures on grounds of “conscientious objection”. It’s not the first time this kind of argument has surfaced. I remember a couple of years ago a magistate resigned after he was refused permission to be exempted from presiding over adoption cases involving same sex parents because it contrary to his Christian beliefs. I don’t think we should make special cases for Christians. I wouldn’t expect to be able to take a job as a Catholic priest and be excused duties that involved Christianity because it is at odds with my beliefs. I wouldn’t expect to be given a checkout job at the supermarket on the condition that I didn’t have to touch meat products because I am a vegetarian.

Apparently NASA has found an asteroid heading for earth that is the size of two football pitches, and there is a one in 625 chance that it will collide with us. The good news is that it’s not due until Feb 5th 2040, so we have some time to prepare for it. I’ll be in my 70s then. So far only half it’s orbit has been observed, but the boffins are hoping they will be able to get a better idea of its course between 2013 and 2016. The younger people in the office have worked out that they will be in their 50s by then and have decided that they don’t mind dying. Oddly, the older people like myself are making survival plans.