Damian Thompson on same-sex marriage

Over here in The Telegraph (the British one. He says:

The passing of this legislation will mark a significant moment in Britain’s history: its emergence as a post-Christian society along the lines of Scandinavia or France.

The traditional definition of marriage is a cornerstone of Church teaching. The fact that the Rev Giles Fraser (inevitably) wants to remove it is evidence of secularisation from within.

But the secularisation that really matters comes from the majority of young British citizens who are atheists or agnostics. David Cameron isn’t in favour of gay marriage because he’s a Conservative: that’s just cute sophistry. He’s in favour of it because he represents, and earnestly desires the votes of, Britain’s fast-growing post-Christian electorate.

If you read the whole article, you'll see that Thompson is trying to make this sound like a bad thing. Personally, I look forward to the day when we can say with certainty that all the nations of the West have evolved into post-Christian societies, societies in which the various forms of Christianity are part of the cafetaria of personal choice and have no real influence on public policy. Alas, that day is still a fair way off.