There was once the notion the governments were to cherish all their citizens equally and respect their rights so long as they did not impinge on another’s liberty. This principle was strained in Belfast recently when Asher’s Bakery, a Christian company, was taken to task by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland for refusing to decorate a cake with the slogan “Support Gay Marriage” and feature the logo of “Queerspace”, a GLBT organisation.

The cake was to be produced for an International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia in Co Down. Asher’s refused to bake it. They got their money back and had the cake baked elsewhere.

Despite the fact that the Northern Ireland Assembly recently voted against redefining marriage for the third time in two years the Equality Commission said the bakery had breached equality laws which outlaw discrimination in the provision of goods and services.

When raised in the Westminster Parliament at Prime Minister’s question time Cameron’s response was to hide behind the flawed Equality, maintain that Gay marriage is equal and use the legislation to try to bend Christian people’s conscience.

Another piece of State Control comes in the form of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill where children from the age of 0 to18 will be assigned a State appointed guardian. This law will enable the guardian to intervene without parental consent where there is reckoned to be physical or psychological cruelty.

The guardian or named person will be appointed by the National Health Service for those from age 0 to 5 and will most likely be a teacher for those from 6 to 18. The idea is that the youngster would know who to go to for help – without their parent’s knowledge.

Family life can be tough but with secret meetings being added to the equation it will get tougher!

When you move away from Biblical principles you end up copying other Nation’s Laws and make it up as you go along without any moral compass to guide you.

In the first case, having declared unequal things to be equal – that gay marriage equals heterosexual marriage – they now have to adjust the Christian conscience to comply. No conscience clause is to be permitted!

In the second case, having dismissed the commandment, “Honour your father and your mother” (Exodus Chapter 20 verse 12) as the key to securing stability in the land the breakup of family life continues with the insertion of an officer of the State with legal powers that trump those of the parents.

St Paul’s words commissioning Timothy have a prophet resonance, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy Chapter 4 verses 2-4). That time has come!