Keneally misuses conscience argument in supporting homosexual marriage

Kristeen Keneally stated her conscience would permit gay marriage in Australia. She gave her reasoning to a senate enquiry into a bill sponsored by the Greens. She inferred that her catholicism makes the individual's conscience the final arbiter in moral matters such as supporting gay marriage. However, the Catholic church has already clearly stated its opposition to gay marriage in both it's teaching and recent reinforces by statements from the Pope.


Catholics are taught to carefully educate themselves as to revealed norms and norms derived therefrom, so as to form a correct conscience. Catholics are also to examine their conscience daily and with special care before confession. Catholic teaching holds that, "Man has the right to act according to his conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience.

Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters". This right of conscience does not allow one to arbitrarily disagree with Church teaching and claim that one is acting in accordance with conscience. A sincere conscience presumes one is diligently seeking moral truth from authentic sources, that is, seeking to conform oneself to that moral truth by listening to the authority established by Christ to teach it.