GAY TRUTH

Two groups, split down the middle by barriers and police, sang and prayed late into the night as NZ 's Parliament resumed its fierce debate on legalising same-sex marriage. omosexual marriage is just another step forward not of sin but lust, sin and fornication of the worst kind. Homosexual marriage divides communities. A large prayer vigil was held on Parliament grounds yesterday to "give politicians second thoughts" about supporting the bill at the committee stage. MPs voted to progress the bill without changes by a vote of 77 votes to 43. Led by Catholic Archbishop John Dew, the group held placards which said "Kids Need a Mum and Dad" and prayed for the sacred institution of marriage to be "protected and celebrated". They sang Amazing Grace and the New Zealand national anthem. On the other side of the lawn, supporters of a law change sang " What the world needs now is love , sweet love", and unfurled a massive rainbow-coloured flag t

New Zealand Parliament 's government administration committee is currently hearing submissions on the proposed law to allow same-sex couples to marry, the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill. During these hearings, some religious groups have expressed concern that the bill will force them to conduct marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. This is despite the Human Rights Commission saying it will do no such thing and the bill's author saying that the bill is not meant to do so. However, the New Zealand Law Society , in its submission to the committee, has now thrown its weight behind these religious groups' fears. It then suggests that the bill be amended to make it clear that this outcome is not intended. If that change really is needed, then so be it, but I think the law society is wrong and the bill as it stands would not require anything new of any religious group. To explain why, I first need to say something about how the Marriage Act 1955 works.

Charles Chauvel and Grant Robertson at the Big Gay Out 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Family First NZ has released a legal opinion which calls into question the validity of the assurances given in Parliament during the 1st Reading of the Marriage Amendment Bill by the Bill’s author Louisa Wall , and also points out the legal incorrectness of statements made to a newspaper by Labour’s Shadow Attorney-General Charles Chauvel . An initial legal opinion (dated 27 Aug 2012) obtained by Family First NZ from Barrister Ian Bassett before the 1st Reading in Parliament stated that marriage celebrants (including church ministers) exercising their public function will be in breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and acting unlawfully if they refuse to perform their public function as marriage celebrants by reason of the same sex of a couple seeking to be married. On 29 August 2012 in Parliament during the 1st Reading of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, Lo