Religious leaders urge Prime Minister to abandon marriage equality plebiscite
Image: More than 40 leaders have signed an open letter to Malcolm Turnbull urging him to pursue a free vote in Federal Parliament.
MORE than 40 religious leaders have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urging him to pursue free vote on marriage equality in parliament.
The leaders fear the campaign surrounding a plebiscite would cause harm to the LGBTI community, silence people of faith, and cause unnecessary division among broader Australian society.
“A volatile, public and politically-charged debate could both distance leaders from lay people, marginalise faith communities from broader society and alienate LGBTI individuals within religious communities,” the letter reads.
Regarding the LGBTI community, the letter says: “After decades of legalised discrimination, and ongoing social stigma, LGBTI Australians will face an angry, drawn-out debate, one likely to multiply existing disadvantages and stigma.”
The letter comes days after the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) began pushing the federal government to “override” anti-discrimination laws during the upcoming plebiscite campaign.
ACL managing director Lyle Shelton told Fairfax Media that the ACL had pushed for “some sort of… setting aside of these [anti-discrimination] laws”.
Shelton has since been criticised by various public figures, including Australian Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs.
The religious leaders’ letter also emphasises a fear that groups like the ACL would be seen to speak on behalf of other religious groups, when many people of faith “support the in-principle separation of law from confessional beliefs”.
“By uniting a confessional doctrine (on marriage) to a specific public policy, a plebiscite threatens to undo the social consensus central to Australia’s secular-religious harmony,” the letter says.
Reverend Angus McLeay, spokesperson for the alliance of faith leaders, said in a statement: “A national plebiscite has the potential to cause significant harm to Christians and others of faith through a highly politicised moral debate that polarises our communities and silences LGBTI people of faith.
“The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) does not speak for large sections of the Christian community.
“We are writing to the Prime Minister so that he is aware of the diversity of opinion within faith communities and the concerns held by many over the plebiscite path.
“ACL claim to be a voice for Christian values yet many struggle to see the grace and love of Jesus in their words.”
Signatories of the letter come from all over Australia and include Father Rod Bower, the priest of the well-known Gosford Anglican Church; Metropolitan Community Church pastor Greg Smith; Reverend Bill Crews, the founder of Exodus Foundation; Wayside Chapel founder and pastor Graham Long; and Reverend Margaret Mayman, the out lesbian priest of Pitt Street Uniting Church, Sydney.
Full list:
Rev’d Jean Shannon
Chaplain, Canberra, ACT
Rev’d Ben Gilmour
Superintendent Minister, Paddington Uniting Church, NSW
Rev’d Dr John Squires
Minister, Wauchope Uniting Church, NSW
Rev’d Robert Clark
Pastor, MCC Good Shepherd, Granville, NSW
The Venerable Rod Bower
Archdeacon, Gosford Anglican Church, NSW
Rev’d Greg Smith
Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church, Sydney, NSW
Rev’d Clive H. Norton
Priest, St Basil’s Anglican Church, Artarmon, NSW
Rev’d Laurie McIntyre
Minister (Canon Emeritus), Bowen Mountain, NSW
The Venerable Peter MacLeod-Miller
Archdeacon, St Matthew’s Anglican Church Albury, NSW
Gregg Heathcote Shin
Buddhist Priest, Newcastle, NSW
Rev’d Bill Crews
CEO & Founder Exodos Foundation, NSW
Rev’d Janet Dawson
Minister, Uniting Church NSW
Rev’d Michael Palmer
Rector, St Michael’s Anglican Church, Vaucluse, NSW
Rev’d Dr Keith Mascord
Benjamin Oh
Co-convenor, Rainbow Catholics InterAgency for Ministry, NSW
Honorary Curate, Holy Trinity Dulwich Hill, NSW
Father David Smith
Rector, Holy Trinity Dulwich Hill, NSW
Rev’d Graham Long
CEO & Pastor, The Wayside Chapel, Sydney, NSW
Rev’d Dr Margaret Mayman
Minister, Pitt Street Uniting Church, NSW
Rev’d Clare Brockett
Minister, Uniting Church, Sydney, NSW
Rev’d Dr Leigh
Neighbour Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church, Brisbane, QLD
Rev’d Penelope Jones
Priest St Luke’s Toowoomba, QLD
Rev’d Dr Ray Barraclough
Secretary, A Progressive Christian Voice Australia, QLD
Rev’d Susan Pickering
Minister, West End Uniting Church, Brisbane, QLD
Rev’d Dr Noel Preston
Minister, Uniting Church in Australia , QLD
Rev’d Colin Gurteen
Rev’d Canon John Fowler
Minister, Anglican Diocese of Willochra, SA
Minister, Kingston Uniting Church, TAS
Rev’d Damien Stevens
Co-Convenor, Uniting Network, Shepparton, VIC
Rev’d David Connolly
Vicar, St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Richmond, VIC
Prof Emeritus Rev’d Gary Bouma
Minister, St John’s Anglican Church, East Malvern, VIC
Rev’d Angus McLeay
Minister, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, VIC
Rev’d Noel Whale
Priest, Holy Trinity Port Melbourne, VIC
Rev’d Matt Glover
Counsellor, Ringwood, VIC
Rev’d Nathan Nettleton
Pastor, South Yarra Community Baptist Church, VIC
Rev’d Peter Weeks
Minister, Craigieburn & Wallan Uniting Church, VIC
Rev’d Dr Paul Tonson
Minister, Uniting Church Minister, VIC
Rev’d Dr Avril Hannah-Jones
Minister, Williamstown Uniting Church, VIC
Dr Muriel Porter
Anglican Lay Leader, Diocese of Melbourne, VIC
Father David Moore
Vicar, St John’s Anglican Church, Camberwell, VIC
Rev’d Cath McKinney
Minister, University of Divinity, Melbourne, VIC
Canon Dr Colleen O’Reilly
Vicar, St George’s Anglican Church, VIC
Rev’d Michelle Trebilcock
Minister, St John’s Anglican Church, Camberwell, VIC
Rev’d Carolyn Francis
Minister, Collins Street Baptist, VIC
Rev’d Tony Murray-Fiest
Chaplain, Anglican Church Perth, WA
Have Australians never heard of separation of church and state?
There is no such thing as separation between church and state in Australia mate. Especially when the Liberal party is in power! That is why I always vote Labor. I have never ever voted Liberal my whole life!
The separation of church and state is designed to protect the church from the state, not to prevent the church from speaking its piece to the government of the day. Sadly, many people have trotted out that much misunderstood cliche of an argument as a device for gagging legitimate argument. The church is entitled to its opinion and it is entitled to tell the community what it is.
Why do so many “supposedly” straight folks like to hang out at lgbti sites, hmm….
And they spend so much time NOT at straight-folks type sites…you know, like sites for their schools or churches or whatever.
I wonder what’s going on??
;)
Metadata!
Oh dear one must wonder about”god/a;;ah” where is she/he when all these people who believe in god and allah are currently suffering unspeakable atrocities committed against them for power and greed, they call themselves believers.They head of to church and mosques with regular monotony while killing there fellow humans.
What ever happened to acceptance of diversity, and respect for difference?
Surely compassion is a “christian” trait?? Or are we so bogged down in dogma that no one can listen??
I am currently in a mainly muslim country and no cares about the fact hat I share a room, a meal etc., with a person of the same sex.
Roy
A Christian can show compassion without accepting the legitimacy of something (like same sex marriage) that he or she might find morally repugnant. Compassion doesn’t equal agreement.
Likewise, accepting and caring about a GLBTI person does not oblige a Christian to agree with the GLBTI person’s moral and lifestyle choices.
All people, including people who are attracted to people of the same sex, are more than their sexuality – that shouldn’t define any of us.
I am embarrassed to be Australian! We have turned into a Muslim Asian nation, that is why marriage equality is never possible within Australia! It is 2016, and we are still debating this? If we banned Muslim immigration we would not be in this mess. We have created more red tape for ourselves, individual people, manufacturing and companies are going elsewhere and our taxes are far too high – no wonder why people hate Australia and there is no investment here!
Josh you are so correct that you hit the nail on the head! That is so true to the core!
The so-called “Safe Schools” program targets young impressionable school children who are being groomed into sexualised hedonism without their parents having a say in the matter or even knowing about it (ALL children are being targeted by this destructive and misguided hedonism). They are being told to say same sex slogans and propaganda that allows reverse-bullying toward anyone that disagrees with homosexuality. Even the words “him”, “her”, “boy”, “girl”. “mother”, “father” are discouraged so that same sex relationships are not shown up for how they are deficient in these areas. All the high health risks associated with homosexuality are ignored, and the children are exposed to gross sexual discussions that are adults-only topics.
Talk about a screwed up education system run by screwed up public servants and endorsed by screwed up politicians who don’t seem to care that using children as pawns in their political agenda amounts to child abuse.
What we are seeing is that all heterosexual people WILL be adversely affected by same sex marriage contrary to the what the same sex lobby people tell us (the PM’s marriage is a perfect example of this). If our society turns out the way that the same sex lobby group wants, then rampant hedonism will exist and heterosexuals who innocently and genuinely show love for their wives and husbands (like our PM did with his wife) will be viciously attacked and the fabric of our society will be destroyed when the traditional family is destroyed in this way. There is no love involved and there is no equality involved. Same sex parents keep saying that they are raising children as good as heterosexual parents and they want to feel good about their parenting ability, but no matter how nice we treat the same sex parents and make them feel good with “supportive” words, their children will still miss out on either a father or a mother. Their children suffer because of selfish parents. We can see now how the same sex marriage agenda DOES affect heterosexual people in a horrible, dangerous and disgusting way. Let’s leave marriage as it is and let’s not be fooled by the hedonistic goals of the same sex lobby group!
Fuck off you troll!
Scott – Is Neil not entitled to express his opinion? The fact that you may disagree with one or more of the things he said doesn’t make him a troll, nor is there any need for him FO.
If the Labor party wins the next federal election, we will have marriage equality by the middle of next year! If the Liberal party wins the next federal election, we will have 3 more years of delays and procrastinations – until the 2019 federal election!
The Senate will just block it anyway, because that feral bitch Jackie Lambie will vote against it – as well as the Family First member what’s his name! These feral people block the federal budget and marriage equality! Australia we need to abolish the Senate and just have one house of parliament!
The Family First Senators name is Bob Day!
I have an idea! If the ACL want a “override” of anti-discrimination laws, then the ACL should have no problem in an “override” of taxation laws then hey! Pay your taxes you bigoted religious groups! I have paid mine for years! At the next federal election think about your vote! I have already made up my vote, and it will be Labor. I am very confident that by 2020, Australia will have marriage equality.
AGREED!
Hey hey ho ho, it is off to an early election we go! Oh that’s right Malcolm Turnbull (Abbott 2.0) does not have the balls to do that!
Australia we need an early federal election right now! The Liberal party government is so dysfunctional to the core, it makes Adolf Hitler look good for an upgrade to the Australian cabinet targeting boat people! Let me be very clear the Australian people do not want 200 million tax dollars on a referendum on marriage now or ever, that some Liberal party MPs will simply ignore anyway! 20 anti-gay politicians from both houses on both parties are thankfully retiring and the 45th parliament when it opens will pass a vote to allow marriage equality!
The issue is moot, because 20 MPs and Senators who oppose marriage equality are thankfully retiring! The next parliament will allow marriage equality by 2018! Thank goodness!
22 Now, Bill Hafferman and Warren Truss too! Remember Bill Hafferman who accused a gay high court judge Micheal Kirby of pedophilia! I am glad that anti-gay bigot is retiring, do not let the door hit you on the way out!
religious leaders. Leaders? leaders of what,who where?
Three comments so far (surprisingly few), only one of which comes from someone who actually read the article it seems.
The other two? Well, I’m not sure what a story of three consenting adults having a hiking trip into the mountains contributes to the Marriage Equality discussion and the other one doesn’t seem to realise he’s arguing against people who are on his side!
I agree with contention of the partition, Parliament is the tool which should be used to resolve the Marriage Equality situation. It was Parliament who inserted the (para)phrase “between a man and a woman” into the marriage act without going to the people so it’s Parliament who can jolly well remove the (para)phrase without hiding behind a plebisite.
Sadly, with a plebisite there will be much unnecessary vitriol, villification and downright falsity thrown from across the radicalised trenches; it’s wedge politics at its most insidious.
The vote will pass and the moderate masses will be left to pick up the pieces and rebuild the many burnt bridges once the “Angries” have moved on to their next issue de jour. Nett result: lots of angst with no change in the outcome.
Not that Malcom would be reading a Gay rag (perhaps some of his best friends could pass on the message) but if you do, please, show yourself to be something other than a better dressed and less manacing version of Tony Abbott: cancel the plebisite and return the decision to Parliament, even if you call the vote after the election.
*”Parliament is the tool which should be used to resolve the Marriage Equality situation. It was Parliament who inserted the (para)phrase “between a man and a woman” into the marriage act without going to the people so it’s Parliament who can jolly well remove the (para)phrase without hiding behind a plebisite.”*
Exactly. Somehow, they CAN act, IF they wish to…so, lets vote the dogs out!
I also agree on removing the taxation-pass that these “cults” enjoy. AU a secular nation- not a “choose-your-delusion” nation.
Lastly, the marriage being debated is a contract between the happy couple & the STATE– the churches need to get the eff out of it. NO ONE is forcing YOU to provide religious ceremonies in your church. Get it?
Thank you to these brave Faith Leaders. Finally, the decent, reasoned leadership we had expected from Mr Turnbull, which has been sadly lacking to date.
Typical dishonest drivel from the cult leaders. They have attempted (but failed) to make their objections sound reasonable, but it all boils down to them wanting special legal exemption to practise their bigotry, and not wanting to be shown that the public does not side with them.
I was in the process of being sued by one of 4 ministers , 2 Anglican, 1 Uniting and 1 Presbyterian, 3 of whom were married, 2 with children who were having interrelationships — the Bishop of the day, a gutless individual rang to say he would not help after I wrote to him and two others. As a consequence two friends took me into the mountains and from which I can say that after an encounter that God has not changed, homosexuality is a spiritual illness and can be cured if the afflicted turn to God — so these Clerics and self appointed lay leaders are defying God, working against Christ and are doing the opposite to which they are called. May God have mercy on their souls.
No one has any idea what you’re on about, you know…