EDINBURGH, Scotland — Scotland has announced it will allow same-sex weddings as early as 2015, becoming the first country in the United Kingdom to do so.
“We are committed to a Scotland that is fair and equal, and that is why we intend to proceed with plans to allow same-sex ‘marriage’ and religious ceremonies for civil partnerships,” said Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who made the announcement July 25.
The Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church were against the move, but gay-friendly Christian groups said they were “relieved” by the announcement.
Sturgeon said religious groups and individuals opposed to same-sex “marriage” will not be punished for not performing them.
“The Scottish government is embarking on a dangerous social experiment on a massive scale,” said a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church.
Rod Thomas, chairman of Reform, a conservative evangelical network within the Church of England, said, “God designed marriage to be the union of one man and one woman, reflecting the union of Christ as bridegroom and the Church His bride. God is not a person with whom even U.K. prime ministers can negotiate a more congenial set of commands.”
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