Today Parliament passed a bill which, when it finally becomes law, will legalise same-sex marriages. Despite considerable opposition within his own Tory party, Mr Cameron has forced this bill through with Labour and Liberal Democrat support. We can only hope that he feels pleased with himself, having wasted parliamentary time on a pointless piece of legislation which is by no means universally supported by the gay community and, calculated more certainly than anything else, to divide not only his party but also the church as well as the country. We have been assured that churches and other faith communities will be under no obligation to conduct same sex marriages contrary to their canon law or cherished beliefs. However we suspect it is only matter of time before the carefully drafted exemptions are challenged in the courts and we dare not speculate as to what the outcome of such challenges might be. Since 2005 same sex couples in the UK have been free to enter into Civil Partnerships which confer all the important rights of marriage but, crucially, without using the name. There was - and is – no need for further change. Marriage – the union of a man and a woman – is an age old institution predating both Christianity and modern civilisation. We doubt whether it is within the competence of any Government to change the essential nature of that institution and we regret the assault which has been made upon it.