Truth, Marriage, and Religious Liberty

Last updated on: September 14, 2012 at 12:37 am by Michael F. Bird

Truth, Marriage, and Religious Liberty 2012-09-09T00:50:45-04:00 Michael F. Bird

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Very good article by Catholic Bishop of Parramatta Anthony Fisher on Truth, Marriage, and the Threat to Religious Liberty. Some generalization I would contest, but he does allude to the zealous efforts of SSM supporters to marginalize and take punitive actions against public figures who dare to oppose their position. He writes, quite provocatively:

Whether it is restaurateurs, athletes, broadcasters, psychiatrists, school teachers, rabbis, inn-keepers or politicians, no one is exempt from this ferocious campaign to silence advocates of marriage as traditionally understood. The view that marriage is between a man and a woman, which was common to people of every known religion, philosophy and culture in history till now has suddenly become unspeakable. To achieve this, the SSM lobby have cleverly shanghaied the language of race equality, repeatedly declaring that marriage redefinition is “inevitable,” that eight out of ten people support the change, and that opponents have no arguments to offer, only neo-Nazi hatred or (worse) “religion.” Of course, for now there will be the outward shows of civil debate and promises of religious exemptions, but it’s an open secret amongst SSM advocates that any such exemptions will be temporary and that religious organisations will be required to fall into line in due course. “Gay rights” trump rights of conscience, belief and religious practice every time.

Even more illuminating was many of the comments:

This article is insulting to the indigenous people of this land, and many other cultures who have seen marriage as a bond between more than two people, primarily as between a man and many women (but sometime vice versa). Marriage is a social construct and should bend to the will of the society in which it operates. Marriage should be defined as a socially recognised union between unrelated, consenting and adult individuals.

‘Religious freedom’ – what a pathetic argument. It should not be used to deny the right of same-sex couples to a civil, non-religious marriage.

This article is probably one of the most reprehensible the Religion and Ethics section has published, and that’s an impressively high bar to clear. Congratulations, Anthony Fisher, for demonstrating just how small-minded and bigoted the ‘traditional Christian view’ of marriage is.

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