"The long-term impact of such legislation on our children's up-bringing, on our health and welfare and on our liberties enshrined in law has not been acknowledged by SSM proponents," says author R S Harris, "nor in its rush has the government encouraged proper debate around these vital issues."

The study, which comprises secular argument and research and is non-religious in approach, is published by Anglican Mainstream (AM), the UK-based online information resource for the global Anglican Communion, and Voice for Justice UK, a new campaigning group for civil and religious liberties. It is the first of its kind in the UK and is commended by a number of public and political figures, including the former Lord Chancellor Lord Mackay of Clashfern.

"Our report is unashamedly academic and educational," said AM's Chris Sugden, "but it is full of hard-hitting facts and evidence against gay marriage that SSM proponents dare not face and try to avoid."

In view of the government's impending announcement of gay-marriage legislation this week, the report is being mailed today to all members of both Houses of Parliament and also to over 350 chairmen of Conservative constituency associations, the majority of whom are opposed to the legislation according to surveys. Polling by ComRes has found that seven in ten Tory constituency chairmen want David Cameron to drop the proposal; six in ten believe it will lose their party more votes than it will gain and nearly five in ten report a loss of association members over the issue.

"We want to strengthen the Tory grassroots opposition and give them further research and reasons to reinforce their dissent," said Chris Sugden. "The study will make compelling Christmas reading for them."

The report concludes:

* The concept of 'equal marriage' is fundamentally flawed as it presupposes a questionable notion of 'equality' and ignores the essential and defining components of conventional marriage.

* Gay marriage falsely judges parenting roles as interchangeable.

* Same-sex marriage wrongly assumes that the benefits of marriage are automatically transferable to same-sex couples who 'enter' the same institution.

* There is no evidence that same-sex couples will benefit from the 'commitment device' invoked by marriage.

* Gay marriage introduces a disturbing, unproven and socially risky new norm into society, that children do not need both a mother and father for optimal development, when all the evidence points the other way.

* Same-sex parenting studies are fundamentally flawed in their sample size and methodology when measured against commonly accepted social science standards.

* When same-sex couples create children through IVF, it is a grave injustice to the rights of children, as they are unable to know and be cared for by one or both of their natural parents.

* In jurisdictions where same-sex marriage is already legal, this holds the status of legal fiction.

* If 'love and commitment' are the sole criteria for marriage then alarming consequences ensue, such as the validation of incestuous relationships, as well as recognition of polygamous, polyamorous relationships, as has already begun to occur in countries with SSM.

* Fear of causing offence makes society tread silently around disturbing medical data from both the UK and the US that, like smoking, homosexual activity is intrinsically unhealthy. For instance unlike the vaginal lining, the rectal lining is unable to withstand penetrative activity without medical damage. The active promotion of a gay lifestyle in schools that SSM marriage inevitably entails is medically harmful for our children, especially boys, and costly to the health service.

* Dissent from the new government-promoted orthodoxy regarding family life, sexual ethics and marriage is now treated with the same uncompromising intolerance that the US Senate McCarthy Committee once treated those suspected of supporting communism.

The report "Is there a Case for Same-Sex Marriage?" is available in hard copy from TLB Direct, PO Box 3837, Swindon, SN6 9DS, telephone 01793 861040, info@vfjuk.org. As an e-book it will be available for purchase from Wednesday 12th December.

Available from Amazon download here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Same-Sex-Questions-Eligibility-Consequences-ebook/dp /B00AMPHMGS

Download Kindle free to a computer here

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