Brennan attacks same-sex parents

Brennan attacks same-sex parents

Prominent human rights lawyer and Jesuit priest Father Frank Brennan has used a Lent address to attack same-sex parenting — warning that science will soon be able to create children who are biologically linked to both their same-sex parents.

“We are just around the corner from scientists being able to produce a child from the genetic material of two ova or two sperm,” Brennan said.

Brennan also used the address to oppose same-sex marriage, and compared the issue of same-sex parenting to the Stolen Generations and victims of forced adoptions.

“I think the state still has an interest in preferencing a social institution which maximises the possibility of children being nurtured by their known biological mother and their known biological father,” Brennan said.

“The state should proceed slowly in this field. We should have learnt some lessons from the Stolen Generations and those who were adopted out contrary to their parents’ wishes.

“I would support the recognition of civil unions now, but I would want to reserve consideration of same-sex marriage until the majority of those who are married (and not just the young) favour it, and until we have dealt with the complex issues of parenting children produced from the genetic material of two men only or two women only.”

Brennan also cautioned that using religious definitions of marriage in expressing opposition to same-sex marriage would be unhelpful for opponents.

“We need to distinguish between moral teaching and pastoral advice offered our co-religionists and reasoned advocacy for laws and public policy applicable to all persons,” Brennan said.

“On the issue of civil recognition of same-sex unions, it is not appropriate in the public square simply to agitate about the Catholic view of the sacramentality of marriage.”

Brennan gave the address on March 13 and 14 at churches in Adelaide and rural South Australia.

Brennan is a professor of law at the Australian Catholic University and was appointed chairman of the Australian Government’s National Human Rights Consultation Committee in 2009.

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13 responses to “Brennan attacks same-sex parents”

  1. He is so antiquated he needs to see what Assisted Human Reproduction AHR has ALREADY DONE in CANADA and how LGBTQ and children’s rights advance past neanderthals like this guy as well as others like Alison Redford, Phillipe Rabot and Dr. Pearce including the AHRC.

    There are already cases through the courts that push past science AHR and Parent Rights/child’s rights.

    Better step in line with Nicholson, Harper and Cdn society.

    what an antiquated point of view, OUTdated March 20, 2012 …

    Wait till you see whats next…..

    DWH self representing gay hiv pos PARENT (non biological dad) setting precedence globally for HUMAN RIGHTS and EQUALITY.

  2. There you go again dave, total exaggeration. And when did this situation occur in geelong? Now your against julia?

  3. Brennan and Gillard need to resign from public life. Gillard has no place giving such hate an audience with government officialdom. Their legacy is death, of pain and suffering, of lost hope and empty churches- Labor with no soul, no longer the progressive party but the regressive party turning back the clock. They offer a further punch in the face for those struggling with their sexuality. Recently near Geelong, a gay man was hunted down in his home, taken to a park and set alight. This is where such hate ends up, in the hands of some idiot.

    I see this speech as the start of a Nazi style smear campaign of hate, designed to have people bashed and killed. There can be no other conclusion- it is a hate speech full of lies. Brennan in his uniform, likens us to the torturers of Aboriginal people, he likens us to stealing newborn babies from mums. How much more wicked could his comments be?
    The idea that some people, due to their birth, are less deserving of Civil Rights than others is repulsive to most Australians. The majority of Catholics as the polls show, support Equality, and simply do not support Brennan and his rampage against human rights.

    Gillard has blood on her hands now. It seems Labor no longer supports the idea everyone is deserving of human rights. Why else do they continue to exclude us from the Federal Equal Opportunity Act? It is time to openly condemn Gillard and Labor for backing Brennan and hate.

  4. I just created a petition: Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia: Don’t deny the the right of gay parents to adopt. , because I care deeply about this very important issue.

    I’m trying to collect 100 signatures, and I could really use your help.

    To read more about what I’m trying to do and to sign my petition, click here:
    http://www.change.org/petitions/gov-bob-mcdonnell-of-virginia-don-t-deny-the-the-right-of-gay-parents-to-adopt?share_id=eOvnWcoOql&pe=pce

    It’ll just take a minute!

    Once you’re done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!

  5. Please explain how these scientists are supposedly creating a child from 2 ova or 2 sperm.
    I could be wrong, but if that were actually possible, that would mean that every single one of us would be able to make our own children, by ourselves…..which would that the varying arguments that marriage is only for hetro couples because only hetro couples can make children and children of course NEED a mother AND a father for whatever reason you come up, with would be complete rubbish…..which by the way, ARE COMPLETE RUBBISH.

  6. I don’t understand how he can draw similarities between the Stolen Generation and children of same-sex parents.

  7. “…warning that science will soon be able to create children who are biologically linked to both their same-sex parents.”

    What?

    A desperate man representing a desperate church.

  8. Read his views, how could he possibly be appropriate for a role on the Australian Government’s National Human Rights Consultation, let alone Chairman.

    This is part of growing evidence that our PM Julia has no understanding of human rights.

  9. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The Jesuits…The CIA of the Vatican. Back to your church steeple Frank Brennan….They look more and more like missile towers.
    Anyway, why are unmarried men in frocks telling us what marriage is or isn’t ?
    Meanwhile….More Gay’s will save the planet from over population.