In response to a number of requests I have gathered together some of my comments on marriage. I trust they are of help to fuel our\u00a0prayer for our politicians as they consider whether to redefine marriage.\u00a0 Shalom in Christ, John<\/p>\n
Affirming the current definition of marriage.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n From a media release in 2005:<\/p>\n \u201c[I]…voice my support of the understanding of marriage as being between a man and a woman.\u00a0 I believe that marriage relationships, understood in this historical way, are a vital foundation of our community life and its definition should remain as is currently the case.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Affirming the recognition of same-sex couples and the removal of discrimination in practice<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n From a media release in 2005:<\/p>\n \u201c…I was pleased to support the rights of gay and lesbian couples in seeking such things as access to superannuation, visiting rights in hospitals and establishing a register of significant same-sex relationships.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n From a media release in 2011:<\/p>\n \u201cI have consistently supported the recognition of gay and lesbian relationships and have advocated for appropriate legal protection for gay and lesbian couples in areas where there was formerly discrimination.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Further Background Information<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Earlier this year I endorsed the following words and distributed them to those who were responding to an online survey on this topic.<\/p>\n This issue is not one of equality or inequality. Many of the rights and responsibilities afforded in law to a marriage are also rightly applied to de-facto couples, same-sex couples, and other significant relationships.\u00a0 Where this is not the case, the law can be modified with respect to the specifics of the situation.<\/em><\/p>\n This issue is about re-definition.\u00a0 Redefinition is injurious when it removes an aspect of a relationship that is fundamental to its nature.\u00a0 The heterosexual nature of marriage is fundamental as evidenced by<\/em><\/p>\n a) the ideals and understandings of virtually every civilisation in history<\/em><\/p>\n b) the categorical basics of human biology<\/em><\/p>\n c) the fundamentals of human society which seeks to form a coherent arrangement of biological, familial and sociological relationships for the benefit and longevity of the whole community, not just the happiness of the couple.<\/em><\/p>\n d) religious beliefs and philosophical positions which affirm a sacred and holistic sense of marriage as a unity-in-gender-diversity, a joining-of-gender-differences.<\/em><\/p>\n For many who have entered into the institution of marriage tampering with the fundamental heterosexual nature of marriage would make the institution of marriage unrecognisable.<\/em><\/p>\n See other of my blog posts on this issue:<\/p>\n In response to a number of requests I have gathered together some of my comments on marriage. I trust they are of help to fuel our\u00a0prayer for our politicians as they consider whether to redefine marriage.\u00a0 Shalom in Christ, John … Continue reading \n