Clergy speak out for marriage
A group of 15 multifaith clergy has written to all 150 Lower House MPs, calling on them to support a motion backing religious groups who don’t want to marry same-sex couples.
The motion, introduced by Independent MP Andrew Wilkie this year, states that if the Marriage Act is changed to allow gay marriage, churches would not be obligated to perform such ceremonies.
It is expected to be debated in coming weeks.
“While the issue of same-sex marriage is supported by some churches and opposed by others, one area that all churches would agree on is that religious ministers should be under no obligation to perform same-sex marriages if it does not accord with the doctrines of their faith,” the clergy’s letter read.
The group includes Baptist, Uniting, Anglican, Jewish, and Metropolitan Community Church clergy from across Australia.
Canberra Uniting Church Reverend Roger Munson said he believes there is support for change in faith groups.
“Some clergy support same-sex marriage, some don’t,” Munson said.
“The law should give churches permission to celebrate marriage according to their particular faith.
“Mr Wilkie’s motion underlines this principle, and should satisfy both sides of the issue.”
Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said a poll conducted last year showed 53 percent support for change among Christians.
“We hope this motion will send a clear message that the proposed amendments to the Marriage Act are about civil marriage, and will not affect the way any church chooses to practise or define marriage,” he said.
“We hope support for this motion sends a clear message to [Qld MP] Bob Katter, the Australian Christian Lobby and other concerned groups that we come in peace”.
A Senate committee is looking into the issue of same-sex marriage and accepting submissions from the public. The deadline for submissions is April 2.
INFO: www.aph.gov.au
Sorry, Dave, statistics can easily be made to lie.
The truth is that 53% of the 516 people who identified as Christians said they supported SSM.
Well in the last Aust. Census around 60% identify as Christian – at best this is a ‘political’ statement of their ‘values’, but that is not a ‘faith’ answer.
Most of the 60%, and therefore this 53% do not have a personal faith in Jesus Christ (the true meaning of ‘Christian’) and most of them never go to church.
Marriage Equality is playing statistical gymnastics and they know it.
15 ministers out of many 1,000s in Australia signed the letter to parliament and some are practicing homosexuals so they cannot be Christians. Only 10 are listed on Christians for ‘marriage’ Equality.
Hardly a statistical majority – in fact a very small minority.
The majority of Christians, as the polls show, support marriage equality.
From Anglican Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu.
“To penalise someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalised for something which we could do nothing [about] — our ethnicity, our race. I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted.” Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeLDsBPSzYg&feature=related
Joe- your ignorance should shock me but it doesn’t. I’d hate to be you when all races, genders, the sexual orientation of people becomes equal because you will obviously have a hard time with life. Pull your head of of your arse and wake up.
Please this must be a joke.How 2 man or woman can considere them self to be a family?God create Adam(Man) and Eva(Womann) not Adam and Steve,and nothing between.Jesus loves you and die also for you but he does not agree with your life style,read the Bible and you found out is against any physical and spiritual law.God Bless You
What these ‘clergy’ have done is hypocritical and selfish.
They are about supporting their own freedom to choose, while selling out the thousands of other Christians and people of no faith who also oppose same-sex marriage for the obvious reason – they are unnatural.
Normalising them will have devastating consequences for all young people and the whole society.
They also totally ignore all the evidence that such ‘exemptions’ are short lived and that the intimidation of opponents of s-s relationships, such as we have already seen with the NSW Presbyterian church and Peter Madden’s truck which were both plastered with graffiti, will continue.
I’m still wondering when polygamous relationships are going to get the same treatment. All I hear is Gay vs Hetro marriage.. That’s not the only 2 options! It’s horrible to have to choose one of my partners to be official while the other has no legal rights.
The whole thing needs to be overturned.
Mark, there may be many in the homosexual community who use websites such as grinder, gaydar, manhunt and dudes nude but ther are comparable numbers of heterosexuals using adult-matchmaker, redhotpie, lava life and yes, even Ashley Madeson. To say that 99% of homosexuals are only after NSA encounters based on your asumptions of other people’s character, and an ignorant one it is.
Secondly, the clergy members already have the right to refuse to perform a service to any couple that they believe has breached their code of ethics, ie, pregnant brides/ couples. The act of petitioning the lower house members is just another meaningless act.
Mark of Sydney what a small minded view you have. I have been in a monogamous relationship with my partner for three years and would love nothing more than to have our relationship recognised by the laws of my country. I do agree however that churches should not be forced to perform ceremonies that they do not agree with, who would want to get married by someone who does not support them anyway?
I’m all for equal marriage rights. However, under current laws, any celebrant, whethere a part of a religious organisation or not, can refuse to marry a couple for a myriad of reason, including own personal beliefs. So whilst gay couples should have their right to MARRY (not civil unions, second best option), forcing celebrants to marry couples against their will doesn’t seem reasonable. And why would you want to be married by a homophobe anyway? As for the apparent “promiscuity” of the gay community, Mark of Melbourne, such “sources” (I use the term lightly) are hardly accurate refelctions of the broader community. And you know what? Who cares if somebody, regardless of sexuality, wants a bit of NSA fun? Sexual autonomy is not a sin, or something to be ashamed about!
Mark: Who creates a dating profile saying they’re looking for a husband or wife? That would put me off right away.
I’m not going to search specifically for someone to marry. I’m going to search for someone I get along with and have fun dating, and if things work out maybe we’ll get married.
Max of Sydney, this is completly stereotypical and quite shallow actually!!!
I would say your incorrect 30% are looking for NSA FUN alot are looking for something else but don’t mind the fun along the way there is a big difference, maybe just the 99% you looked at
And by stereotyping this, your almost as bad as the critics!!!! Because we are not all the same
For someone in this community would have expected better
I’m a lesbian and I completely agree with this. We keep saying let us do things how way, we should let the churches do things their way. Equal rights in society means having marriage recognition under the law, and this would allow for that. The separation of church and state means that shouldn’t obligate churches to marry according to that law, therefore they should be able to choose who they want to marry in their church. I’m sure it is horrible for the religious gays and lesbians out there who want to marry in their church, but the reality is that if your church is rejecting to marry you its rejecting your marriage. How could you stay in a congregation that doesn’t recognise your relationship as they same as theirs? Maybe it’s time to find a congregation that will marry you and will welcome you (and your partner) the way you are!
What is sad, Mark of Sydney is that you obviously think that all gay people are using Grinder, Gaydar, Manhunt, Dudesnude etc. I am an average gay guy and I live in a stable monogamous relationship. My partner has an 18 year old son who lives with us as well. Our community is diverse, just as the heterosexual community is diverse. Why should we be discriminated against in a Federal Law? In part I think marriage discrimination perpetuates some of the behaviour within our community as there is no formal recognition of our relationships that we can aspire to. When marriage equality becomes a reality I believe the stable monogamous relationships that are currently invisible to a lot of people, will become more visible – both within our community and within society in general. For example, a young gay person might be flicking through the weekend newspaper and see a picture of 2 guys or 2 girls in the wedding photos. In my mind this will create aspiration within that young person that will put them on a potentially different sexual path than simply trying to get into bed with as many people as possible (have a read about Sexual Script Theory if you’re interested). Mark, if you don’t want to be part of the Grinder-Party scene (and if you do – there is nothing wrong with that) – please take it from me – there are lots of gay people out there like you. Unfortunately they may be less visible to you.
Sad to say,but if you click on “Grinder,Gaydar,Manhunt,Dudesnude” etc 99% of the thousands of it’s users are not looking for a relationship,let alone Marriage,their looking for NSA,fun,just a good time.
I want Gay Marriage,but it will conflict with the average gay guys lifestyle of “How much NSA can I have” and the Party Lifestyle that comes with it.
Sad,very sad,it doesn’t look good in our community,sorry.