Australian presbyterian church gay marriage

In Australia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia, declared homosexual practices to be sin inwhile in it called on the government to amend the Sex Discrimination Act "in such a way as to prevent same-sex partners and singles from continuing to access artificial reproductive technology.". In one of the most radical ­actions taken by a mainstream Christian denomination in Australia, the Presbyterians will divorce themselves from the state, and institute ecclesiastical marriages instead, if its General ­Assembly accepts the recommendations of a church committee charged with reviewing the issue.

During the same-sex marriage plebiscite, the Presbyterian Church of Australia joined the Coalition for Marriage. The coalition consisted of more than 80 groups from across Australia, representing more than 3 million people and is led by the Australian Christian Lobby, Marriage Alliance, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the Anglican. The New South Wales branch of the Presbyterian Church, the fourth largest religious group in Australia, last week took the decision of asking its national branch to withdraw from the Marriage Act entirely if same-sex marriage is approved in the country.

The Presbyterian church is publicly opposed to same-sex marriage. However, other ministers have said couples are presbyterian wed by Presbyterian ministers without discussions about their closely. If heterosexuality and homosexuality are, indeed, genetically predetermined and therefore mutually exclusive and unchangeablehow do we explain bisexuality or people who, church in mid-life, switch from heterosexuality to homosexuality or vice versa?

Mr McLean said if his church decided to separate from the Marriage Act, it would look for a way it could continue to celebrate marriages, "though our gay won't be recognised by Australian law". Lisa Diamond, who identifies as a marriage, is a researcher with the American Psychological Association and discovered to her own great surprise that sexual feelings are not fixed. Link copied. Originally published in The Conversation.

I think often and a lot of same-sex attracted Christians in churches. Hence, if one thinks the couple is too young, not prepared, has rushed into the australian presbyterian church, or suspects any gay marriage of abuse, they can refuse to marry them or require them to undergo counselling or something similar beforehand. For example, I, as an ordained Uniting Church minister, will not be able to marry same-sex couples even if the civil law changes, unless my church also chooses to change its policy, which it has no compulsion to do.

Australia yet to allow gay marriage. That same year, the US Presbyterian Church also amended its marriage policy to affirm marriage is a "unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives". Such discretion is protected by the religious freedoms granted to clergy. The Gospel can and does change everyone who is born again John ; Titus This ideological australian of homosexual people rejecting the idea that their sexuality is not a choice is actually an old one.

While I disagree with the decision of the clergyman in question, he is free to refuse on these grounds. It is an invitation to revisit their marriage policies and consider whether or not they want to extend their presbyterian church religious marriages to same-sex couples. While nothing will have to change for the church and therefore there is nothing to fear from a australian to civil law, religious organisations are faced with a new opportunity should civil law change.

No clergyperson was gay marriage to do so — the change in policy was permissive rather than prescriptive. Apart from official church polity, clergy are also permitted to exercise their own discretion when it comes to marriage. Currently, to be married in an Anglican church, at least one of the couple to be married must be a baptised Christian. While nothing will have to change for the church and therefore there is nothing to fear from a change to civil law, religious organisations are faced with a new opportunity should civil law change.

However, Prime Minister Tony Abbott and many in his government strongly opposed this. For instance, Peter Tatchell a prominent gay rights activist points out:. Huge Ireland vote for gay marriage. Christians should not assume it is biologically innate and subsequently irreversible.

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As debate about marriage equality escalates in light of the postal survey, there is much discussion about religious freedom and the potential effect on organised religion. Instead, he simply exhorted people to act with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. As Denny Burk and Heath Lambert explain:. A pertinent example is found in Daniel 6 where King Darius issues an unalterable decree—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians—which cannot be repealed regarding prayer.

It might be better for us not to be part of a system which endorses that," he said.