Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans has been heavily criticised for arguing that marriage “doesn’t work at all anymore”.
Speaking on Channel 4′s Sunday Brunch programme, Evans branded marriage an archaic institution and claimed that it was about men controlling women.
The outspoken presenter’s comments were branded “nonsense” by the campaign group Coalition for Marriage (C4M).
Ownership
Evans said: “We began to get married 3000 years ago, which is about the ownership of a woman by a man, and actually, as a model it doesn’t work at all anymore.”
The presenter and father of four has been married three times.
Dr Sharon James, spokeswoman for C4M, responded to Evans’ comments on BBC Tees yesterday.
Nonsense
Asked whether marriage in 2015 is about ownership, she said: “That is complete nonsense, it is not about ownership.”
Marriage is the ultimate equality
Dr Sharon James,Coalition for Marriage
She added: “Marriage is the ultimate equality, when two people stand and say together ‘I’m going to stay with you for life’. It’s the most wonderful union that two people can make to each other and it’s actually the building block of society.
“Communities are firmer when people make their marriages work”.
Celebrating marriage
Dr James went on to describe the “tragedy” of a Government which introduces policies which undermine marriage.
She accused the Government of putting policies in place which “penalise security” and “reward insecurity”.
She also noted the cultural shift towards individualism, where people prioritise their own feelings and happiness over the wellbeing of their spouse or children.
Dr James concluded by stressing that, as a society, we need to get back to “celebrating marriage as the most successful partnership in history”.
C4M
C4M is an umbrella group of individuals and organisations, including The Christian Institute, that supports traditional marriage.
C4M’s petition against the redefinition of marriage was signed by 669,444 people.