Iris Robinson, UK Member of Parliament and wife of First Minister Peter Robinson, during a debate on the assessment and management of sex offenders in the House of Commons;«- We all agree that few issues arouse as much interest or concern in the community as that of sex offenders. The sentences served and their subsequent placement back in the community cause considerable disquiet among the public. There can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality and sodomy, than sexually abusing innocent children. There must be sufficient confidence that the community has the best possible protection against such perverts and it is important that there be a mature public debate on the issues, but the security of our citizens must be our overriding priority. »
Later, after protests and official complaints, she issued a statement via the party's press office stating:
“I clearly intended to say that child abuse was worse even than homosexuality and sodomy ... at no point have I set out to suggest homosexuality was worse than child sex abuse.”
When explaining her statement to the Belfast Telegraph;
“Can you think of anything more vile than man and man or woman and woman and sexually abusing children? What I say I base on biblical pronouncements, based on God’s word. I am amazed that people are surprised when I quote from scriptures ... I cannot think of anything more sickening than a child being abused. It is comparable to the act of homosexuality. I think they are all comparable. I feel totally repulsed by both.
... I am trying to reach out to people. That is what Christ teaches us ... Anything I say is out of love. I am not hate-mongering. I cannot leave my Christian values hanging at the door when I go into politics. I am speaking out more now because we are getting it more and more rammed down our throats that the minority views are more important than the majority views. I am not trying to alienate anyone ... I do not turn anyone away. I would never water down anything with the scriptures and I don’t think I should. I find it amazing, if not unexpected, as these days Christians are persecuted for their views but that will not stop me. There will be a judgement day and when I am judged I want to know that I did all I could to spread the word of God.”
I don't know about you but if someone I'd voted for started making statements like these, I'd feel I'd been duped. When a politician makes it their business to spread the word of God in order to be judged favorably when she's dead, that makes me concerned.
Especially when, to her, "the word of God" includes, making it clear that homosexuality is comparable to, if not worse than, child abuse.
She claims anything she says is out of love. If this is the kind of love her God wants to share with the world, then I'll pass.
