Gay Sex and Politics. Sinful?

Is a politician, in a Western liberal democracy, who believes that gay sex is a sin, fit to hold public office?

I only ask because of the hue and cry which has gone up in the UK because the leader of one of the smaller parties, the Liberal Democrats, prevaricated in interview after interview before finally saying he does not think it’s a sin. His stock answer until then was to say that being gay was not a sin. He was forced into ‘clarifying’ his position because, during what is an election campaign, the issue was not going to go away.  The leader, Tim Farron, is a Christian, evangelical to boot.

Does this matter?  I don’t believe gay sex is a sin, but I do think Mr Farron has the right to believe it is or it isn’t. Ah, but as a politician he is in a position to be prejudicial against gay people due to his views, and on record as saying that his Christianity and politics are fused. But has he been prejudicial in supporting legislation against gay sex? No, and it’s doubtful he would be.  Therefore, does it matter what his private view is?

Would it matter if his Christian views led him to believe that sex outside of marriage, between an adult woman and man, was a sin?

Would it matter if his private view was that interracial sex was a sin? Whatever his reasons for this view, be they religious, supremacist, pseudo-scientific, it would certainly betray a mind-set which would lead many people to feel they could not vote for him, or even support a party he led.

I’d certainly want to know if the leader of a political party held these views as it would tell me a lot about them. I could agree, or disagree with these views, and decide if my level of agreement, or disagreement led me to be able to vote for them or not.

On these grounds, I think it is fair to ask Mr Farron his views on gay sex, and indeed, other matters, since he has stated that his political views are influenced by his faith.

However, I think it is unfair to ask only him these things. The United Kingdom is full of people who profess allegiance to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism (other faiths are available) and who are seeking, or in, public office.  These religions all have things to say about homosexuality.

So, if we are to ask Mr Farron these personal political questions, should we also be asking Prime Minister Theresa May?  What about London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Bolton MP Yasmin Qureishi, Congelton MP Fiona Bruce, Lord Jonathan Sacks, etc.

And if your answer to the question in the first sentence is ‘no, they are not fit to hold office’, then how many people do you think should be removed from positions of power?