This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/18/tim-farron-avoids-saying-whether-he-sees-gay-sex-as-a-sin
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Tim Farron avoids saying whether he considers gay sex as a sin | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The new Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, on Friday night repeatedly avoided answering whether he regarded gay sex as a sin during a live television interview. | The new Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, on Friday night repeatedly avoided answering whether he regarded gay sex as a sin during a live television interview. |
| Just one day into his role as party leader, in an interview with Cathy Newman on Channel 4 News, Farron was asked whether he personally believed, as a Christian, that homosexual sex was a sin. | Just one day into his role as party leader, in an interview with Cathy Newman on Channel 4 News, Farron was asked whether he personally believed, as a Christian, that homosexual sex was a sin. |
| After replying that as liberals it was not “our views on personal morality that matter”, Farron said that to “understand Christianity is to understand that we are all sinners”. | After replying that as liberals it was not “our views on personal morality that matter”, Farron said that to “understand Christianity is to understand that we are all sinners”. |
| The Liberal Democrat leader added: “Perhaps the Bible phrase that I use most - particularly with my kids, but actually on myself – is ‘You don’t pick out the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye when there is a plank in your own.’” | The Liberal Democrat leader added: “Perhaps the Bible phrase that I use most - particularly with my kids, but actually on myself – is ‘You don’t pick out the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye when there is a plank in your own.’” |
| Farron has been criticised in the past about his voting record on equal marriage. | Farron has been criticised in the past about his voting record on equal marriage. |
| He was among nine Lib Dem MPs who abstained at the third reading of the marriage bill – which was carried by 366 votes to 161 in May 2013 – despite previously voting for same-sex marriage legislation. | He was among nine Lib Dem MPs who abstained at the third reading of the marriage bill – which was carried by 366 votes to 161 in May 2013 – despite previously voting for same-sex marriage legislation. |
| Farron said earlier this year that his abstention did not mean he opposed equal marriage. | Farron said earlier this year that his abstention did not mean he opposed equal marriage. |
| “Put simply, there were a couple of amendments that were about the protection of essentially religious minorities, conscience protections, and I kind of voted for those,” he said. “Me doing something like that, which is about protecting people’s right to conscience, I definitely regret it if people have misread that and think that means I’m lukewarm on equal marriage.” | “Put simply, there were a couple of amendments that were about the protection of essentially religious minorities, conscience protections, and I kind of voted for those,” he said. “Me doing something like that, which is about protecting people’s right to conscience, I definitely regret it if people have misread that and think that means I’m lukewarm on equal marriage.” |
| Asked if he would take the same decision again, he said: “No, I would vote for equal marriage.” | Asked if he would take the same decision again, he said: “No, I would vote for equal marriage.” |
| In January 2007, Farron told the Salvation Army magazine War Cry that “the Bible is clear about sexuality of all sorts” and “the standards that define my personal morality as a Christian are not the standards of public morality”. | In January 2007, Farron told the Salvation Army magazine War Cry that “the Bible is clear about sexuality of all sorts” and “the standards that define my personal morality as a Christian are not the standards of public morality”. |
| When asked recently by the Liberal Democrat Lesbian and Gay Rights group about these comments, he replied: “For all minorities in the UK – equalities legislation passed in the last 10 to 20 years has been a huge step forwards. Whilst I am and will remain a committed Christian, I take the same approach as Charles Kennedy did – I hold my faith firmly but impose it on no one.” | When asked recently by the Liberal Democrat Lesbian and Gay Rights group about these comments, he replied: “For all minorities in the UK – equalities legislation passed in the last 10 to 20 years has been a huge step forwards. Whilst I am and will remain a committed Christian, I take the same approach as Charles Kennedy did – I hold my faith firmly but impose it on no one.” |