PRESS RELEASE
20 September 2011

Christian social policy charity CARE has expressed its deep concern at the announcement that the Government intends to consult on redefining marriage.

The institution of marriage, the relationship between a man and a woman, has been the cornerstone of the family for millennia. The Government does itself no favours in seeking to use Parliament to fundamentally redefine something that is so foundational.

Rather than investing resources in redefining marriage, the government should be celebrating marriage, recognising its centrality to rebuilding our broken society. It is hugely concerning that the Government should choose to totally redefine marriage – in contradiction of previous reassurances that the whole point of civil partnerships was that they were instead of marriage. Instead, they should be prioritising following through on the central marriage commitments contained in the General Election Manifesto and Coalition Agreement.

It is extraordinary that the Government should respond to ‘Broken Britain’ by watering down marriage, though these proposals will undoubtedly meet with significant opposition from many in the run-up to, and during, the consultation in March 2012.

Marriage – the lifelong covenant relationship between a man and a woman (be it religious or civil) – must be defended and upheld as a bastion and beacon for future generations to aspire to: the health and wellbeing of our society depends on it.