THREATS from anti-gay marriage campaigners convinced a Highlands and Islands MSP to back controversial new legislation.
Mary Scanlon was branded “godless” and warned she would be “struck down” if she voted in favour of same-sex unions.
She faced a dilemma over what position to take on the issue – but the vitriolic language used in more than 20 e-mails she received from people vehemently opposed to the policy was the “tipping point”. One e-mail from a man in Inverness said: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”
The Conservative abstained in the vote to legalise civil partnerships in 2004 because she appreciated the arguments on both sides of the debate.
Earlier this week, MSPs voted 105-18 to approve the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill, which paved the way for the first ceremonies to take place in the autumn.
Ms Scanlon said yesterday: “The language of some individuals – not churches, but individuals – who opposed the same-sex marriage bill was the tipping point for me to vote in favour.
“Following my vote in favour at stage 1, I received e-mails saying that I would be struck down by the wrath of God for supporting the bill.
“It is a fair and just society that extends marriage to people who love each other, no matter where they live or whom they love.”
Highland independent MSP John Finnie said he had also received abusive e-mails from “loveless” people warning him of the consequences of voting in favour of the bill.
He revealed that a Free Presbyterian Church minister had told him his cause of death would be “iniquity or involvement in the national sin”.
Mr Finnie said: “I was brought up in a faith household and do not consider that many, though by no means all, of the communications from people professing faith reflected the love, tolerance and respect I was taught as a child.”
By contrast, Holyrood Deputy Presiding Officer Elaine Smith, who worked for Highland Council in Inverness for 10 years before being elected a Labour MSP, said she had received “intimidating” messages from gay-rights activists.
“When I first mooted the idea that I did not intend to vote for this legislation, people said I was vile,” she added. “It was suggested that I should be burned at the stake as a witch and I was likened to a member of the Ku Klux Klan.”
But Free Church of Scotland minister the Rev David Robertson said it was a “sad indication of the shallowness of parliament” that MSPs were prepared to make a choice based on “stupid e-mails”.
Mr Robertson, director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, said opponents of gay marriage had been called witches and accused of being homophobic dinosaurs.
He added: “It is a sad indication of the shallowness of much of the parliament that our MSPs can proudly announce that they have made such a momentous decision as an emotive reaction to some stupid e-mails.”
Tom French, of the Equality Network, which campaigned for gay marriage, said: “The vast majority of religious people who did not support the bill put across their views in a polite way,” he added.
MSPs who voted against the bill included Western Isles SNP MSP Alasdair Allan, Inverness and Nairn SNP MSP Fergus Ewing, North East Conservative MSPs Alex Johnstone and Nanette Milne and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch SNP MSP Dave Thompson.
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