GAY TRUTH

With the commencement of the legislation adopting same-sex marriage for Australia today, 9 December, it seems worthwhile to note some more implications, following my initial comments on the change. The two I would like to address here are the changes to the “monitum”, the summary of Australian marriage law required to be recited by some celebrants; and the possible issues surrounding what I will call “rogue priests”, clergy in one of the mainstream Christian denominations who may wish to solemnise same-sex marriages when their denomination adheres to the historic Christian position that marriage is only between a man and a woman. The “monitum” This is a curious word which will not be familiar to most people who are not marriage celebrants! In fact even the definition given in the standard Oxford English Dictionary refers to its original usage in the Roman Catholic Church to refer to a “warning” given by ecclesiastical authorities, but does not note the use of the word in the ma...

I would like comment briefly on suggestions that ministers who are committed to a Biblical view of man/woman marriage ought to “hand in their license” and no longer participate in solemnizing any marriages for the purposes of the  Marriage Act . This is an “internal” debate among those who have a high view of the Bible. But for those readers, I would like to make it clear that I disagree with the suggestion. The position has recently been put forward by someone whom I respect immensely, Pastor Campbell Markham from the Presbyterian Church in Tasmania, in his article “ Resignation from the Marriage Act ” (Nov 29, 2017). Pastor Markham has the courage of his convictions in a number of areas- he is currently the subject of a complaint under the Tasmanian ADA similar to one made previously against Archbishop Julian Porteous. However, on this issue, he and I disagree. Of course, I have no criticism of his decision to not solemnize marriages under the law of Australia...