Gosh this Tim Farron gay sex issue is a real humdinger, is it not? It has been a true eye-opener to us all, and exposes just how nasty some so called liberals can be. The definition of liberalism is hotly disputed. There are the classic liberals or libertarians and there are the lefty liberals, but the last time I checked we all agreed that private beliefs on issues of morality or what is sinful, are just that – private. Not so if you are poor beleaguered Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Tim Farron did not ask for the Spanish Inquisition, but that is what he has had to endure after being asked whether or not he thinks gay sex is sinful. He prevaricated and refused to answer clearly, which has caused the issue to drag on and on all the way to Sunday TV, when he was asked again on Peston on Sunday if he thinks gay sex is a sin. Again he did not answer clearly enough for his inquisitor Robert Peston.
Now part of me is enjoying watching the liberal Left (most of the condemnation has been from the Left) eating one of their own. I think this is extraordinary but predictable and proves what a bunch of liberal fascists they are. I wrote sometime ago that the Left do not just want public policy to go their way – they want your soul. And boy oh boy do they want Tim Farron’s soul.
The other part of me, however, is pretty outraged about the whole thing – so much so that I am seriously considered voting Lib Dem unless one of our readers can talk me down from that particular cliff edge.
I guess this all comes down to, how much are we entitled to know about our political leaders? Do we have a right to peer into their soul and judge them on their private and moral beliefs? I think this is quite dangerous and amounts to a faith test to me.
Post Enlightenment, once the Church and State split, liberal democracies and liberal democrats have come to an agreement that Church and State stay separate, just as private beliefs on personal morality that a politician may hold can be separated out from their political beliefs. If personal or Biblical morality impacts on their political polices – then this is the when you can judge them – but from what I have read, Farron’s beliefs are kept separate from this political ones.
Tim Farron may or may not believe gay sex is sinful, but it is important to remember that when that phrase is used, it is short hand for, ‘my personal understanding that Biblical Christian ethics says gay sex is sinful.’ For all of Christianity (until two seconds ago) the answer to that was yes.
What is also clear is that even if this is Tim Farron’s belief, he is not – as so many seem to believe – condemning anyone. As all Christians should also know, only God can judge the human soul and explicitly to condemn another would be sinful itself. That is not to say you cannot guide others as to what you think is the proper understanding of Christian ethics but that is not what Tim Farron is seeking to do. The whole episode demonstrates what bullies the Left are.
Finally, what this exposes is the unbelievable neediness on display by some voters, especially LibDemers. Supposedly, they need to know what Tim Farron believes in order to be able to vote for him.
In other words, if he does not personally approve of their lifestyle they will not vote for him. That sounds desperately needy to me. I don’t need my politicians to approve of my private life, I just need them to execute Brexit and not spend the kid’s inheritance by blowing the budget on free stuff. But then I am not a needy bully.
(Image: Liberal Democrats)
