That's rubbish, even by your low standards.

No-one really cares about it, which is why I am surprised they bothered legislating.

From listening to radio phone-ins over the last couple of weeks most people couldn't give two hoots, regardless of their sexual persuasion.

This is a minority issue being pushed by those on the fringes of an equality movement. And a PM who desperately needs a flagship piece of legislation.

There is a reasonable chance the Lords will bin it. And there possibly isn't enough time left in this parliament for it to revisit the Commons.

Another Christian in Parliament trying to justify bigotry based on a buffet-style reading of her holy book. Sit down, Andrea Leadsom, you stupid bint.

Yes votes: 400 No votes: 175

A victory for common decency.

I can feel my marriage being devalued already.

I heard that a vicar has already been taken to court for refusing to perform a ceremony for a gay couple, even though the law says he doesn't have to.

That's your opinion. I have mine.

I felt happy when I saw the news, then became somewhat ecstatic when I realised right now Kirkstaller is probably sat in a corner stroking his bible and crying (at least a bit more than he usually does).

And yours is demonstrably stupid. There's literally not a single shred of evidence to suggest that homosexuality will one day become socially unacceptable. You might wish that it was so, but that's not the same thing.

Not to mention the 175 narrow-minded s who voted against the bill in the Commons. Hopefully, a good proportion of them will be out of a job in 2015.

OK Mr Genius. As I said, learn the lessons of history. 1920s Berlin had may gay bars, etc and a flourishing "gay scene." By 1933 (less than 10 years later) gays were being shipped off to concentarion camps to die in their tens of thousands. That is something that happened in the lifetimes of our older citizens.

You stick to your rabid rantings. I'll take a balanced view and point out the potential shortcomings of your hubris.

Wow. You're seriously using what happened in Nazi Germany in the 1930s as evidence of what might happen in Britain in the 21st century? Deary me.

Being a practicing homosexual has been legal in this country for several decades. Civil partnerships have been around for 10 years. You're not seriously suggesting that equal marriage is suddenly going to turn the tide against homosexual people, are you? Because that would make you a gigantic idiot.

Most people support this legislation, and it's just one more nail in the coffin of pathetic bigots like you and the Archbishop of Canterbury. No amount of wishful thinking on your part will change that.

So, this gay marriage vote was just to allow same sex couples to get married in church then?

Only where the Church agrees. It also allows for civil marriages to be recognised as 'marriages' rather than 'partnerships'.

Your naivety knows no bounds. What is different in the 21 Century to any other? Human nature does not change. Our economic position and line up of potential scapegoats puts us in a very similar position to late 1920s Germany. Britain could lurch to the far-right very quickly. If in doubt look at some of the comments against this article in illiterate Middle England's online rags - the Daily Express and Daily Mail. The average Telegraph reader and Times reader is probably somewhat further to the right of those people.

Interesting that you call me a bigot when I have expressed no opinion on the issue in this thread, whereas you have shouted down everyone!

Maybe they voted in accordance with their constituents / supporters wishes (ie acted in a democratic fashion)? That's certainly what one explained of R5. I think you underestimate the strength of feeling there is on this issue among the middle classes. The issue came up at a house party with our local MP a couple of years ago and I was taken aback by the strength of feeling there was.

I suspect MPs in marginal seats who voted for it will be more at risk.

If the church have any sense they'll say no. I'm an atheist, so dislike religion. However we allow religion and I'm sure the 3 main religions don't endorse homosexuality, so we have given them the right to refuse to marry same sex couples in their places of worship.

I call you a bigot based on your posting habits in general, particularly on the subject of homosexuality.

The knuckle-dragging far right element in this country represent a small minority of the population. There's absolutely no way the scenario you have dreamt up in your feverish little fantasies is going to unfold.

Over the last hundred years or so, society has become (very) gradually more equal and tolerant of the differences of others. This march towards equality for all citizens is going only one way - there will be no turning back.

They voted in accordance with their own prejudices, backed up by their selective reading of their favourite book of unsupported myths.

That a few middle Englanders feel very strongly about it doesn't alter the fact that most of the population support the legislation as being timely and necessary.

Why do you think that? History shows that not to be the case. So there has been no turning back on collective pay bargaining and union power, no prospective turning back on employment rights, no actual reduction in employment rights, no turning back on the welfare state, etc, etc. etc?

As I have said umpteen times "rights" are granted by the powerful - whether a few powerful people or the silent majority - to others. When the powerful think their benevolence is being abused they withdraw rights and often harshly.

By your feeble logic, we should deny equal rights to Jews, just on the off chance that your nightmare scenario becomes reality. The fact of the matter is that this piece of legislation is right and it is just. I've yet to hear a single compelling argument against. All we seem to get from opponents is selective quoting of holy texts and apocalyptic stupidity like your Nazi idea.

And whilst there have been attempts by (mainly Tory) Governments to remove some rights from workers, there's been nothing that you'd put on a par with Nazi Germany. Over the course of the last century or so, the march has been very much in one direction.

Nazi Germany was just an example of how quickly things can change even in a modern society. My basic premise is that times change but human fundamentals do not. So, at some time the pendulum WILL swing. that may not be tomorrow, in 10 years, even in 50 years but it will.

The last century or so saw those "rights" introduced as the country got richer. the country looks set to get very much poorer in relative and probably real terms. With that things will change.

As another example, civil liberties are being eroded at an enormous rate. The instruments of the state and indeed private companies are getting increasingly authoritarian - no longer in our everyday lives do people in positions of authority take a balanced view but now its a case of fine people for any anything, no mitigation. Whereas, it is very difficult to get accountability the other way round.

Nice to see Godwin is alive and kicking...

This country

My example was pertinent though.