“IT’S TIME” Marriage Equality and Why I Support It (Updated)
On Wednesday November 26 Self-styled libertarian Senator David
Leyonhjelm introduced a Bill into the Australian Parliament to allow
same-sex marriage. In doing so Senator Leyonhjelm told reporters in
Canberra that Prime Minister Tony Abbott was “not enthusiastic” about
the same-sex marriage bill.
His argument was the government’s got plenty of troubles without this one coming along,” Senator Leyonhjelm said.
“He would prefer I didn’t [introduce the bill].”
Senator Leyonhjelm had a recent dinner meeting with Mr Abbott, where
the Prime Minister again “made plain” his opposition to same-sex
marriage.
The Bill will now have to be voted on. The Prime Minister is on the
record as saying that if the matter came up a conscience vote would be a
matter for the party room. At the present moment the LNP is on the nose
with the public. They are on the wrong side of every argument. Given
recent polls say that 70% of voters are in favor of marriage will they
risk yet another debacle?
.
Marriage Equality and Why I Support It
As of June 2014, 17 countries Argentina, Belgium, Brazil,Canada,
England (Wales and Scotland)France,Denmark, Iceland,Luxembourg, Mexico,
Netherlands,New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden
Uruguay and New Zealand allow same-sex couples to marry. In addition 20
US states in the USA support Gay Marriage. Civil Unions or Registered
Partnerships exist in around 25 others.
More recently the state of New South Wales in Australia voted to recognise gay marriages in other countries.
Some of the aforementioned countries have had same-sex marriage
legalised from one to ten years. The fabrics of their societies have not
unraveled; they haven’t been struck by lightning. They have not been
tormented by natural disasters, or the wrath of God. They have not
fallen off the face of the Earth and they have not tumbled into any sort
of moral abyss.
On the contrary, the experience seems to have been a positive one,
social harmony is constructive and the emotional, physical and sexual
health of gay people has improved. Some of these countries even feature
high in the” happiest countries” surveys and the divorce rate for gay
couples is better than that of heterosexuals. I have read the after
legislative experience of many of these nations and there is no evidence
that same-sex marriage will have catastrophic consequences for society.
Traditional Marriage
I recall last year reading a book titled “The History of Sex” and was
surprised to find that the early church debated for around 100 years
what was the most natural position for a women during intercourse.
Therefore, I was not at all surprised to find that when you research the
history of marriage it is littered with ongoing fundamental change. It
is rooted in several different ancient cultures including Roman, Hebrew,
Germanic and the medieval practices of the early church. It took the
Protestant reformation to transform it from church ownership to the
realm of government.
Early marriage had nothing to do with love but was more to do with
inheritance and ownership than anything was and, marriages were arranged
without the consent of the girl involved and more often when they
reached the age shortly after menstruation. In addition, we must keep in
mind that females in early society were treated with pro creation in
mind and not much more.
For a short history of marriage in western society, I recommend you Google “The Sex Atlas” Erwin J. Haeberle, Ph.D., (Ed.D.)
It is important for both those who oppose gay marriage (and any re
structure of the construct of the family) and those who support it to
understand that marriage in western civilisation has constantly been
subject to change, both by the church and by secular authorities. If you
take the time to research the history of marriage, you will find this
to be the case.
State of current marriage
The institution of marriage has changed dramatically over the past
several decades. In 1997, the average age a male married was 24 and by
2003 had increased to 31. For females, it was 21 and 29. This is partly
attributable to a rise in people who chose to cohabit prior to marriage
or as a substitute to marriage. In 1971, around 16% of people chose to
cohabit prior to marriage and this rose to 76% in 2007. Note. You can
find all relevant data on this subject on the ABS webb site.
On the one hand, Australia has an enormous marriage industry but on
the other 50% of marriages break down. Marriage is becoming increasingly
unpopular and some would argue in terminal decline. In Australia, there
are many reasons for this but the decreasing interest and membership of
churches is an important factor.
In the USA the number of married adults has dropped to about 52 percent
in 2008 from 72 percent in 1960 and 39 percent of Americans consider
marriage obsolete
Traditional marriage or marriage in its current state is a failed
institution (some believe it will become extinct) and becoming less and
less popular. Therefore one has to ask exactly what is it that needs
protection. On the other hand, we might ask do we need a new concept of
what marriage and the family should be.
Challenging the Christian Objection
Religion in Australia seems to have influence that outweighs its
relevancy. Once the church led the way in social morality but society
has overtaken it. Only 8% or less of the population attends church on
any given Sunday. In the previous census, 64% of the population
nominated themselves as Christian and a recent survey suggests that it
will be around 40% in the one currently being analysed.( note this may
be disputed because they are two different things) And of the 40%, only
20% practice their faith. The same survey said that a major turn off for
people was the church’s inability to accept gay people. If fact the
churches refusal to recognise homosexuality generally contributes,
further to its demise.
Therefore, Christianity has an influence that is disproportionate to its participation in a secular society.
The Christian faith teaches that all people are equal before God.
However, does the church actually participate in this affirmation? The
short answer is no.
Often you will hear Christians say ‘Oh we don’t dislike homosexuals we just hate the sin’
I have always found this to be infuriatingly condescending.
In a discussion with a Christian friend recently, it was said that there
were no homosexuals because God did not make any. It was also stated
that gay people chose to be that way and not because the were made that
way. This is indicative of the absurdity of the Christian argument. It
is a fact that some men and women for whatever reason choose a gay
lifestyle however the fact is that men and women are born homosexual the
same as heterosexuals are.
. During the last three decades, for example, organisations
representing 1.5 million U.S. health professionals (doctors,
psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, and educators) have stated
definitively that homosexual orientation is as natural as heterosexual
orientation, that sexual orientation is determined by a combination of
yet unknown pre and post-natal influences, and that it is dangerous and
inappropriate to tell a homosexual that he or she could or should
attempt to change his or her sexual orientation.
Sexual orientation is not a matter of choice; it is primarily something
that takes place at birth. People do not decide to be gay just as in the
same way as one does not decide to become heterosexual.
Homosexuality can be observed and is common in the animal kingdom. Birds
do it, bees probably do it and fleas may do it, too. Among the many
examples are penguins, who have been known to form lifelong same-sex
bonds, dolphins and bonobos, which are bisexual apes. Various
explanations have been advanced for the evolutionary advantage that such
relationships might confer. For example, female Laysan albatrosses form
same-sex pairs, which are more successful at rearing chicks than single
females. But they may help preserve those of the group to which they
belong.
Animals unlike humans do not have moral free will, so it is difficult to
argue that they choose to be the way they are. So one could argue that
the existence of homosexuality in the animal kingdom demonstrates that
it is not a sin against nature.
The crux of the Christian quarrel with homosexuality stems from the
interpretation of Biblical scripture. Alternatively, more precisely
selective interpretation mainly from Christians who see the Bible as
literally true. That the word of God is infallible.
If that were so, we would be practicing the following. DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21
If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately.
DEUTERONOMY 22:22
If a married person has sex with someone else’s husband or wife, the Bible commands that both adulterers be stoned to death.
MARK 10:1-12
Divorce is strictly forbidden in both Testaments, as is remarriage of anyone who has been divorced.
LEVITICUS 18:19
The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during
a woman’s period. If they disobey, both shall be executed.
MARK 12:18-27
If a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by biblical law to have
intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her
deceased husband a male heir.
DEUTERONOMY 25:11-12
If a man gets into a fight with another man and his wife seeks to rescue
her husband by grabbing the enemy’s genitals, her hand shall be cut off
and no pity shall be shown her.
. The list goes on: The Bible says clearly that sex with a prostitute is
acceptable for the husband but not for the wife. Polygamy (more than
one wife) is acceptable, as is a king is having many concubines.
(Solomon, the wisest king of all, had 1,000 concubines.) Slavery and sex
with slaves, marriage of girls aged 11-13, and treatment of women as
property are all accepted practices in the Scriptures. On the other
hand, there are strict prohibitions against interracial marriage, birth
control, discussing or even naming a sexual organ, and seeing one’s
parents nude. In fact, the Bible accepts sexual practices that we
condemn and condemns sexual practices that we accept
Personally, I have never understood the fundamental clash between
free will and liberalism. Christians will argue on the one hand that God
gave us free will but on the other insist that we interpret the Bible
literally. Surely, the two are incompatible. In any case any discussion
on free will cannot exclude determinism.
The way certain Bible verses are used to condemn homosexuality and
homosexuals is born out of ignorance. Jesus says nothing about same-sex
behavior. The Jewish prophets are silent about homosexuality. Only six
or seven of the Bible’s one million verses refer to same-sex behavior in
any way — and none of these verses refers to homosexual orientation, as
it is understood today.
Most people who are certain they know what the Bible says about
homosexuality do not know where the verses that reference same-sex
behavior can be found. They have not read them, let alone studied them
carefully. They don’t know the original meaning of the words in Hebrew
or Greek. In addition, they haven’t tried to understand the historical
context in which those words were written. Yet the assumption that the
Bible condemns the practice has led to Christian homophobia. Moreover,
it must be remembered that word homosexuality is a recent addition to
the English language and is not used in the bible.
Now lets look at the most quoted verses used in support of the ante gay argument.
GENESIS 2:21-25
THE CREATION STORY
This creation story is primarily about God, a story written to show
the power of God who created the world and everything in it. It teaches
that ultimately God is the Creator, that God shaped the world.
What does the creation story say about homosexuality? Nothing actually
just like many other things. It does say that it is “natural” that a man
and a woman come together to create a new life. Some people take this
to mean that gay or lesbian couples are “unnatural.” They read this
interpretation into the text, even though the text is silent about all
kinds of relationships that don’t lead to having children:
• couples who are unable to have children
• couples who are too old to have children
• couples who choose not to have children
• people who are single
Are these relationships (or lack of relationships) “unnatural”? There’s
nothing said here that condemns or approves the love that people of the
same sex have for each other So I believe the creation story says a lot
about God’s power and presence in the universe — but nothing about
homosexuality as we understand it today.
Having said that I should point out that one would be hard pressed to
find many Christians in Australian mainstream churches who take the
creation story literally. Most are more inclined toward evolution.
Although in the USA 80% of people still believe in the creation story.
LEVITICUS 18:22 AND 20:13
THE HOLINESS CODE
Leviticus 18:6 reads.” You shall not lie with a male as one lies with
a female. It is an abomination.” A similar verse occurs two chapters
later, in Leviticus 20:13: “A man who sleeps with another man is an
abomination and should be executed.” On the surface, these words could
leave you feeling rather uneasy, especially if you are gay. But just
below the surface is the deeper truth — and it has nothing to do with
sex.
Leviticus is a holiness code written 3,000 years ago. This code includes
many outdated sexual laws. It also includes prohibitions against round
haircuts, tattoos, working on the Sabbath, wearing garments of mixed
fabrics, eating pork or shellfish, getting your fortune told, and even
playing with the skin of a pig. So what is a holiness code? It’s a list
of behaviours that people of faith find offensive in a certain place and
time. In this case, the code was written for priests only,
What about this word abomination that comes up in both passages? In
Hebrew, “abominations” (TO’EBAH) are behaviours that people in a certain
time and place consider tasteless or offensive. To the Jews an
abomination was not a law, not something evil like rape or murder
forbidden by the Ten Commandments. It was a common behaviour by non-Jews
that Jews thought was displeasing to God.
Jesus and Paul both said the holiness code in Leviticus does not pertain
to Christian believers. Nevertheless, there are still people who pull
the two verses about men sleeping together from this ancient holiness
code to say that the Bible seems to condemn homosexuality.
It’s important to remember that in every age, people of faith are
responsible for setting moral and ethical standards. Nevertheless,
people of faith must be very careful not to allow prejudices to
determine what those standards should be.
There are other Bible verses readily quoted from the Book of Romans and
of course the story of Sodom both of which can be shown to be
misinterpreted and not necessarily in a homosexual context. I think an
often-overlooked scripture that supports the existence of homosexuality
is Mathew 19 Verse 11 Jesus is talking about marriage and say’s ‘For
there are different reasons why men cannot marry. Some because they were
born that way.’
That to me is very compelling.
Historically, people’s misinterpretation of the Bible has left a trail of suffering, bloodshed, and death.
Misinterpreted the Bible has done terrible things. The Bible has been
misused to defend bloody crusades and tragic inquisitions; to support
slavery, apartheid, and segregation; to persecute Jews and other
non-Christian people of faith; to support Hitler’s Third Reich and the
Holocaust; to oppose medical science; to condemn interracial marriage;
to execute women as witches; and to support the Ku Klux Klan.
Shakespeare said it this way: “Even the devil can cite Scripture for his
purpose.
Its time we re defined the concept of family and allowed same sex marriage.
It is difficult in 2014 to believe that any sensible government would
not be swimming with the tide of public opinion. Over 70% of Australians
support same sex marriage. If the ALP is looking to resurrect its
popular base then surely they must return to their ideological roots and
support a change to the marriage act at its next national conference.
Gay people like heterosexual people fall in love with each other but
in this country are denied legal recognition within the institution of
marriage. Society say’s that it’s all right for gays to pay taxes, vote
or even die for their country but legal marriage is out of the question.
Yes, gay folk are real people with real hearts and their love for their
partners is just as precious as the love between a man and a woman.
Moreover, they want to get married for exactly the same reasons as
everyone else does. They’re in love. They want to make a commitment to
each other.
This is a matter of gender, equality, natural justice and human rights. I
do not see how allowing same-sex couples to get married hurts anyone
else. Marriage brings so much joy, not to mention for families and
friends. Every mum wants to see her son or daughter get married. It
should not make any difference if her kid is gay.
Research has shown that gay people make loving parents. Sexual
orientation makes no difference to one’s ability to parent. Hence gay
and lesbian couples can be just as good as parents as heterosexual
couples. Kids deserve the stability that comes with marriage. The whole
of society benefits with more love in the world. It is nonsense for
people to say that marriage will be devalued if consent is given to
homosexuals. Heterosexuals have already considerably damaged the
institution. It seems to me that if more people get married the more
relevant marriage will become.
Straight people don’t have to believe in God or go to church to get
married, so why is religion suddenly a big issue when we’re talking
about gays getting married? And most importantly, we’re talking about
civil marriage here, so it’s a civil rights issue. If the church does
not want to marry, gay people then so be it. They need not be compelled
to do so. Gay’s I am sure would be happy at the registry office. I do
concede though that Christian gays would prefer a religious church
ceremony.
Even if Christians believe the homosexual union of marriage is wrong
does it follow that they have the right to impose that view on an
Australian secular society.
The bottom line is that marriage is about love and commitment, a big
commitment. If someone is willing to make that kind of commitment, we
should not be stopping him or her. We should be saying “go for it”, and
“we’ll be there to support you every step of the way”.
“It’s really simple. If you don’t believe in same-sex marriage, don’t marry someone of the same sex.”
In other words, why not allow gay marriage?
Recourses
The Bible.
Ending Sexual Apartheid Michael Kirby
The Gay Christian Network
Yahoo answers
Australian Labor Party
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