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An Irish Pastor has defended making the comparison between homosexuality and rape, as well as adultery.
Pastor Craig Ledbetter of the Bible Baptist Church in Ballincollig, in Cork, made the comments to the Irish Examiner in an interview regarding the build-up to the marriage equality referendum taking place on May 22.
He said to the newspaper: “Homosexuality is wrong, just like rape and just like adultery.”
He argued that a sexual relationship between two men or two women could never be consensual: “We are dealing with one party believing he is right in what he is doing, so it is not really consensual.
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“Two people can consent to adultery or consent to rob a bank, but that doesn’t make either of those things right.”
He said that his chief worry regarding the referendum was the redefinition of the state of marriage and that marriage should be the preserve of a man and a woman.
He stated that he would be voting against the referendum.
On May 22, Ireland could become the first country to pass marriage equality by a popular national vote.
The proposal put to Irish voters will read: "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction of their sex."
The referendum has received backing from political parties Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin.
The decision to launch the referendum was announced shortly before Christmas by deputy prime minister and Irish Labour leader Joan Burton.
Speaking at the time, Burton said: "The fact that this referendum is now to take place is a mark of the progress that has taken place in this country over recent years and decades, and indicates the extent to which attitudes to lesbian and gay people have changed."
Also in January, health minister Leo Varadkar became the first member of the government in Dublin to say publicly that he is gay.
In a radio interview, he said: "I felt as a public figure I should say it. I wanted the next generation to feel that they don't have to do an interview like this."
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