New Zealand Christians pray over Homosexual marriage
Singing from the same sheet: Churchgoers sing a hymn during a meeting at St Mary's Catholic Church to voice their support for heterosexual marriage
Groups supporting and opposing the Marriage Equality bill, which would legalise same-sex marriages, gathered at separate events in Blenheim yesterday.
A crowd of about 110 people attended St Mary's Catholic Church to pray in support of heterosexual marriage, while a small group of about 14 people supporting the bill gathered in Seymour Square at the same time.
Near the start of the church meeting, Blenheim Assembly of God minister Dennis Humphreys prayed for wisdom to tackle the issues.
Wairau Presbyterian parish minister Brendan O'Hagan said his public statements about the marriage equality bill had been a stand for marriage, not against particular people.
"It's an issue that I'm standing for and against, an issue, an idea and an assumption."
Marriage was ordained by God and his truth should be followed, he said.
St Mary's priest Aiden Kay said marriage had a much wider definition than the Judeo-Christian tradition or the popular Hollywood definition.
"The argument that we hear is that if people love each other they should marry, but love is very often not the essence of a marriage, it's what grows out of marriage. Marriage is security, stability, commitment and protection of women and children."
Green MP Steffan Browning who met with the group in Seymour Square said it was a relaxed and short meeting in the sun, but was also a good chance for some who felt their voices needed to be heard.
Others were waiting to celebrate the passing of the law on Wednesday.
"Many feel the world has moved on to the point that people don't need to rally on the issue," Mr Browning said.
"I think the bill will pass on Wednesday and it won't take long for people to have forgotten what all the fuss was about."
It was important that the people gathering in St Mary's were able to express their views freely and that the law allowed them to continue holding to their beliefs and not require them to hold gay marriage ceremonies. However it was also important that others were not discriminated against by the law, he said.
