The French parliament has approved a bill legalising same-sex marriage and adoption, following a divisive public debate.

France becomes the 14th country to pass alaw allowing gay marriage, and follows New Zealand last week.

Opponents of the move have staged some of the biggest protests seen in France in years, though polls suggest a small majority in favour of gay marriage.

Demonstrations are expected from both supporters and opponents of the bill.

Police reinforcements have been brought in and security stepped up. Although previous rallies have been overwhelmingly peaceful, some clashes on the fringes have been blamed on far-right elements.

President Francois Hollande has made the law his flagship social reform.

He is expected to add his signature to the bill once it has cleared any challenge in the constitutional council.

Opponents of gay marriage hope the council will block the bill - but analysts say that is unlikely.

http://mobile.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22261494

speechless!

Ooga ooo.

I hope the bill is blocked.
I don't hate homosexuals but I don't support gay marriage. It is one thing to tolerate peoples' abnormalities but it is another thing entirely to encourage it.

This raises alot of issues and a big challenge to some institutions. For christians especially catholics,it's now legally binding on them to marry homosexuals. Denial is now illegal.

Binding? How so? How has the binding been going for countries that have made this move, before them, so far?

You misunderstand. You see, the church's refusal to give such bliss to homos or any of its acts, was never a function of civil law, but of doctrines and beliefs in which, it is deeply seated. Sadly, no civil rule can change these very essences of hers, and as such, the officiants are soo not obliged in any way, to perform such ceremonies.
This law can and will only be applicable to state churches and others alike, which play with making Biblical law, a State rule (which is tantamount to perjury btw and a mockery of the very definition of the Biblical marriage, as we know it) and where pastors, by doing weddings, become state officials.
Oh yeah, they're owned by the state, then sure, they can be told what to do by the state!

Targeted as discriminatory, the Catholic church can be - which can be all the punishment there'll ever be for "resisting" some crappy law. But it is quite unrealistic to think that she'll be forced by mere Feds, to go along with it.

Rockybabe,you arent seeing our chaotic future with all these laws. How were catholics in england converted to anglicans...it was simply by law.
Everyone is under a state law,suffering for believers arise when such laws contradicts that of religion.

Right. Like everyone is subject to those federal and state laws that generally prohibit employers from discriminating against their employees on various bases, including race and gender. But then, have certain ministerial exemptions in their First Amendment with free exercise clauses that bestow a unique legal status on some religious organizations that put some of their decisions and actions (like the treatment and discipline of members) beyond the reach of civil laws...as is seen in the same Roman Catholic Church, who is free to employ only males as priests. Right.

These bills and laws ALWAYS have clauses, centje. Indeed, court rulings have always been consistent on legal issues, but regarding one important general principle: The government must not regulate religious entities in any way that would require a judge or other government official to interpret religious doctrine or rule on theological matters. Evidence of this principle's in the Danish mandate which allows pastors who don’t believe in gay marriage to opt out. Infact, the new Danish law permits homosexual marriages in the Evangelical Lutheran Church as well as churches of other faiths, "depending on those churches’ own rules.” So what does "binding" mean again, for the Catholic churches in Denmark? Ehennn.

This nations' constitutional tradition right here, is likely to continue to limit the government’s authority to regulate many religious entities.