In the past weeks we have read passionate arguments for and against divorce. I believe that we have come to an impasse and it will not go away unless we are able to address this situation from a different angle.
Our problem lies in the present reality that we are working with and that is a Parliament that is secular and a majority of our population that is practising the Catholic faith.
May I suggest a truly democratic and fair solution?
Our representatives in Parliament are elected by the voters to speak on their behalf. They are carefully chosen to amend or to introduce new laws that will reflect the wishes of the voters who gave them the power to act according to their wishes or else they would not be there in the first place.
It, therefore, seems logical that as a voter I would need to know that if I were to elect my representative in Parliament, that person would reflect and defend anything that is important to me.
For this reason, I suggest that in the forthcoming election all the candidates, who put their names forward for election, will be duty bound to declare whether they are prepared to uphold the principles and teachings of the Catholic Church or declare their position with regard to any other faith or lack of it so that, even if our Parliament is secular, all the parliamentarians elected will be truly representative of the electors and any laws that are enacted will be the absolute reflection of the majority. This is democracy.
A truly secular state becomes one when the majority of its population does not adhere to God's laws.
Those who do, and are sincere about it, do not want the introduction of laws that go against their religion because they become a threat to the stability of the culture and morals that are the foundation of their existence.
This may be interpreted as intolerance but then so is democracy. If democracy is the voice of the majority, then it is intolerant of the minority.
If democracy remains the highest value in the western world, and I cannot see any other alternative, then we must admit that it is flawed. But if we are going to play by the rules of the game then we cannot possibly please everyone.