Is denying same sex marriage unconstitutional?
“An article in The Conversation on 30 August 2016, “Marriage ‘inequality’ is a threat to religious freedom – and it is probably unconstitutional” by academic Dr Luke Beck, Lecturer in Constitutional Law at Western Sydney University, suggests that, far from proposals to redefine marriage to include same sex couples being a threat to religious freedom, the current law (which does not recognize such relationships) is itself in breach of free exercise of religion principles.
Dr Beck, it has to be said, is one of Australia’s foremost legal experts on s 116 of the Constitution (I regularly cite his many articles on the topic to my students in the “Law and Religion” course I teach.) So it is with some hesitation that I have to say I disagree with his view on this issue. But disagree I do.”
– Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia lays out the reasons he is not convinced.
Canberra Rector asks Bill Shorten for ‘a civil and tolerant discussion’ on Same Sex Marriage
“Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has been accused of intolerance and ‘brutal’ language towards people opposed to same-sex marriage, in a confrontation with a rector outside a church service this morning.
Mr Shorten was among politicians attending the service to mark the start of the parliamentary year.
The Labor leader is a vocal advocate of same-sex marriage, but has raised concerns a plebiscite would be divisive and encourage the vilification of same-sex couples.
Rector Ian Powell, from a Canberra Anglican church, took the opportunity to raise concerns about Labor’s approach. …”
– Report and image from ABC News. (Watch to the end.)
Related: on 2GB today, Ben Fordham spoke with Michael Jensen.
David Cook interviewed on the Same-Sex Marriage Plebiscite and Safe Schools
Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook was interviewed last night (24 August 2016) on Sky News’ The Bolt Report.
While video of the show is not available, the audio can be heard at this link. The segment begins at 5:00 and runs for almost 8 minutes.
David is asked how ministers in the Presbyterian Church might respond to a plebiscite result supporting same-sex marriage, and why Christians believe the issues are so important.
Update: David Cook writes,
“On Wednesday, 24th August, I agreed to appear and be interviewed on the Bolt Report on the Sky news channel, regarding same sex marriage.
The interview was about 10 minutes of which Andrew Bolt took half that time in introducing the issue. I had much more to say, but the constraints of national media, made it impossible for me to say more than I did. I appreciated the opportunity to speak on behalf of the church and for Andrew Bolt’s interest; and here is ‘the more’ of what I had to say, the precis of which I delivered on air…”
Topics included —
- What do Presbyterians believe about marriage?
- If there is a Plebiscite what will be the Presbyterian response?
- What will be the impact of the imposition of the Safe School curriculum on Presbyterian schools?
- Why is this issue so important?
Evidence–based debate about LGBT issues?
“If you all you know about gender and sexuality comes from reading headlines, it’s an open and shut case. …
So the nature of homosexuality and transsexualism is settled, incontrovertible, and beyond dispute? Yes, but only in newspapers, not in academia.
A landmark survey of decades of research by two eminent scholars working in the United States claims that many of these assertions are simply not supported by the weight of evidence in scholarly journals. …”
– Report from MercatorNet – with a link to ‘Sexuality and Gender: Findings from the Biological, Psychological, and Social Sciences’ – and an introductory video.
Amazing Love? A review article from Church Society
From Church Society in the UK:
‘Amazing Love: Theology for Understanding Discipleship, Sexuality and Mission’ is a new book, edited by Andrew Davison, which seeks to promote a change to the Church of England’s doctrine of marriage.
In an extended two-part review, Dr Peter Sanlon, Vicar of St Mark’s Church, Tunbridge Wells, analyses the claims of the book –
“This aim of this book can be given in the authors’ own words: ‘This short book explains why we think it’s good for Christians to embrace their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and to celebrate their relationships … We think that the Church should be willing – delighted even – to hallow and strengthen such commitments.’…”
“This volume has the appearance of being a digest of thoughtful and considered academic research. However that is just the surface reality – a carefully curated image. Academic publisher, long sub-title, titled academics listed as authors. It looks like academic work; but upon closer examination the mirage fades.…
It is stated on numerous occasions in the book that the aim of the authors is the embrace and acceptance of homosexual relationships by the Church of England. In reality the book has a much larger goal. The goal is nothing less than a wholesale revision of the Christian Faith into a different religion.”
The End of Gender?
“In the year 2000 I started giving talks on gender issues, based on research I had been doing in feminism. At the time I would speak of the ‘the end’ of feminism, meaning, the logical conclusion of feminist thinking. …
So, I predicted, the end of feminism – its logical outcome – was not likely to be lesbianism, which after all still asserts that there is a difference between men and women, and that women are to be preferred. Rather, the end of feminism was likely to be the disappearance of gender altogether.
But I did not expect to be proved so right, so soon.”
Plenty of good and thought-provoking reading.
You could start with Kirsty Birkett’s article, “The End of Gender?” on page 6.
‘Cover-up — can’t stop truth coming out’
“The story of Cheltenham Girls High School is a textbook example of the subterfuge involved in the controversial Safe Schools Coalition and how far education authorities and governments will go to preserve and conceal a program that subverts parents rights and values. …
It all began last week with our story of how teachers at the all-girls school in north-west Sydney were asked in a staff meeting to stop referring to students as “girls”, ladies” and “women”, but to use “gender-neutral” language instead.”
– At The Daily Telegraph, columnist Miranda Devine looks at one particular school, and also publishes a recent list of schools involved in the ‘Safe Schools’ programme.
Calls for a national conversation about anti-Christian prejudice and bullying
“This week saw one of the two candidates to become simultaneously leader of the UK’s Conservative Party and Prime Minister drop out, leaving her rival to claim the crown without any further voting.
The reason Andrea Leadsom withdrew was a sustained media campaign against her that by Friday last week was being described by seasoned political commentators as “feral” and based on prejudice towards her Christian faith. It was being claimed that her support for traditional marriage and family values, rather than wholeheartedly endorsing every aspect of the gay rights agenda, was morally wrong and that being a Christian in politics somehow made her suspect. …
… Barnabas Fund is calling for a national conversation in the UK and other western countries about the importance of freedom of religion as one of our most important historic national values and how we maintain it.
We are free to speak up for the persecuted church elsewhere because we have freedom of religion here. It is vital that we protect it.”
– from Barnabas Fund in the UK.
Related:
Freedom for Faith Conference at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Friday 12th August 2016.
Sheep among wolves
“One vote kept The Anglican Church of Canada’s synod from opening the door to same sex marriage on Monday, July 11.
I wanted to take heart at this outcome – any time a church beats back heresy, Christians should rejoice. We should be glad that the shepherds were able to chase the wolf away, but I couldn’t rejoice at this victory.
That’s because I knew the wolf would come right back. …
The reality is that the Anglican Church of Canada wasn’t saved by Monday’s narrow victory and then suddenly lost by Tuesday’s betrayal of the rules. The Church of Canada was lost over a period of years. Its walls of orthodox teaching and practice that protected the sheep crumbled slowly but deliberately. The Dioceses of Niagara and Ottawa have been embracing un-biblical teaching for years and it’s been no secret…”
– The American Anglican Council’s Communications Director, Robert Lundy, speaks plainly about the tactics you need to understand.
Related:
Seven bishops ‘publicly dissent’ from same-sex marriage vote – Anglican Journal (Canada).
“The [bishops’] statement begins with a declaration that ‘the entire process, beginning with the hasty vote in 2013 and concluding with the vote and miscount this week, has been flawed and inflicted terrible hurt and damage on all involved.’
The bishops also say that the declared intentions on the part of some bishops to immediately proceed with same-sex marriages, before the required second vote on the resolution in 2019, is ‘contrary to the explicit doctrine and discipline set out in our constitution, canons and liturgies.’
‘That raises the question…why did we bother voting at all, if the decision was already made?’ said [Bishop Fraser] Lawton [of the diocese of Athabasca].…”
The inaugural Freedom for Faith Conference
“Sharing the message of freedom in a threatening public square”
The very first Freedom for Faith Conference will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Friday 12th August 2016.
This important conference is being run by Freedom for Faith – a Christian legal think tank that exists to see religious freedom protected and promoted in Australia.
Trouble in Bakersfield
“A popular, longstanding, and effective member of a schoolboard has had to stand down—not because he does not enjoy the confidence of the community, but simply because he does not accept the latest demands that every knee must bow to whatever the political taste of the moment has decided is non-negotiable…
it is time to face that fact and abandon the myth that the world is run by people who respect difference and diversity…”
– At First Things, Carl Trueman writes about some of the fallout from California’s mandated school transgender policy.
After lawsuit ‘ChristianMingle’ dating website allows same-sex options
“ChristianMingle.com will open its 16 million-member site to gay and lesbian users following an anti-discrimination lawsuit.
According to a settlement approved by a California judge last week, the country’s most popular Christian dating site will offer options for same-sex matches, rather than limiting searches to “a man seeking a woman or a woman seeking a man,” the Wall Street Journal reported…”
– Story from Christianity Today.
Assisted Suicide: A Quadriplegic’s Perspective
“Culture is so easily influenced by the entertainment industry. This is why I am sounding an alarm about a very dangerous message in a film released this summer. The movie? Me Before You.…”
– The wonderful Joni Eareckson Tada has a few things to say about a tragic movie. (h/t Tim Challies.)
Religious schools and discrimination in Victoria
“Recently a Greens MP in Victoria, Sue Pennicuik, has introduced a Bill into the Victorian Parliament to reduce the ability of religious schools to deal with potential admissions, or their current student body, on the basis of the school’s religious beliefs. The Equal Opportunity Amendment (Equality for Students) Bill 2016 had its second reading in the Legislative Council on 22 June 2016.
The legislation is arguably an impairment of the religious freedom of parents and the schools, and ought not to be passed…”
– In his latest post at Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster discusses the latest moves in Victoria. Among other observations, he wonders of the proposed changes are constitutional. Once again, Neil has done the wider community a service by teasing out some of the key issues for us.
Sexual orthodoxy and admitting lawyers
“The decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Trinity Western University v. The Law Society of Upper Canada, 2016 ONCA 518 (29 June 2016) is an interesting illustration of the strength of the current orthodoxy in society on sexual behaviour, and how those who dissent are increasingly being cast in the role of ‘heretics’ and unfit for civilised society.
(While this blog is mostly about Australian issues, those raised by this case are likely to be replicated here and elsewhere in the West, so I think it is worthy of note.)
The decision is the latest in a line of cases relating to the attempt of TWU, a private Christian university located in British Columbia, to start a law school…”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster comments on yet another example of increasing intolerance of Christian morality.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…