Is Legalising Incest Offensive?

Bishop Hugh Gilbert

The bishop of Aberdeen, Bishop Hugh Gilbert, has apparently said that if the Scottish government wishes to legalise gay marriage for the sake of creating equality amongst all people, then they should also legalise bigamy and incest.

Bishop Hugh Gilbert said: “The truth is that a government can pass any legislation it likes.  Why is it all right for a man to marry another man, but not all right for him to marry two women?  If we really want equality, why does that equality not extend to nieces who genuinely, truly love their uncles?”

In response to the Bishop’s comments, Tim Hopkins, director of the pro-gay marriage group, Equality Network, said: “We are very disappointed the Bishop of Aberdeen should choose to compare same-sex marriage to polygamy and incest.  That is offensive and uncalled for.”

Well I have no doubt that Tim Hopkins would be disappointed at the Bishop’s comments.  It always is disappointing when the truth of ones actions is shown for what it really is; plainly foolish.

As for the accusation that Bishop Hugh Gilbert compared gay marriage to polygamy and incest; this is just untrue.  All that Bishop Hugh Gilbert actually said was that if the reason for legalising gay marriage is about giving equal rights to all people, then surely those people who love more than one person should equally have the right to marry more than one person.  So too, if a young man really loves his sister, why should he not have the right to marry her.  Why discriminate against them, but not against homosexuals?

While we are in the process of ensuring that people all have equal rights, let us not forget to legalise the use of cocaine, because who are we to prevent someone from exercising his right to put into his body whatever he chooses to.

Tim Hopkins is of course quite right in his assessment of the Bishop’s suggestion.  It is “offensive and uncalled for”, but it is no more so than the call for legalising gay marriage is “offensive and uncalled for”.  Gay marriage is just not a civil rights issue and any attempts to make it one, is just plain stupid!!