THE PROBLEM WITH RELIGION - ANTI SAME SEX MARRIAGE MOVEMENT PART 5

This is the final blog about the "21 Great Reasons To Keep Marriage As Is"... the anti same-sex marriage flyer from Family First NZ I got in the mail.

18.  SAME AS BANNING INTER-RACIAL MARRIAGE?

No - these bans were unjust, and were designed to keep races apart.  Marriage is grounded in bringing the genders together.  Overturning the ban on inter-racial marriage did not mean a redefinition of marriage but an affirmation of it.

This is all about equality so it is very much like banning inter-racial marriage.  This has been spun to make it look like a non issue but it doesn't take much to see how full of holes it is.

19.  BUT NOT ALL COUPLES HAVE CHILDREN

We agree, not all married couples have children - but every child ever born has a mum and dad.  Having babies is not a requirement for marriage - but it is a natural outcome.  Marriage is a unique union that can lead to procreation.  It is for this reason that the state became interested in marriage in the first place.  We do not disqualify couples from marrying based on exceptions.  Older people marrying is the exception also, not the norm.  Every man and woman who marry are capable of giving any child they create (or adopt) a mother and a father.

So let's start ripping this one apart; firstly and quite right, not all couples have children.  Lets not just push

that to one side as this is the crux of the headline.  Not all couples have children or are even able to have children for some reason or another yet they are still able to get married.  That's the first point.  Second, every child ever born has a mum and a dad?  Surely the writer of the flyer, being a Christian, doesn't even believe what he has written here... did he forget about his lord and savior, Jesus?

The rest of the statement is a complete contradiction unto itself when first saying marriage is a unique union that can lead to babies and then talking about old people getting married not to mention adoption for those who can't.  Same-sex couples can't so they adopt or use surrogate mothers, or in the case of lesbians, a sperm donor.  One more thing,  the state didn't become interested in marriage because of procreation.  It was to legitimise procreation.  In the beginning most states were run by the church and only after the separation of church and state was it solely the state that could legitamise a marriage and therefore the people under individual governments get to choose laws by majority votes.  Well, that's the layman's terms anyway, it has nothing to biblical bigotry.

20.  SAME-SEX MARRIAGE COULD STRENGTHEN THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE?

Marriage does not thrive under the inclusive banner of "the more the merrier."  A marriage culture, which is essential to a healthy society, is nourished when we are faithful to, and honour, it's time-tested definition, and understand its important purpose.  Extending the definition of marriage to include polygamy and group marriage would also not strengthen marriage just because more people could get married.

The time tested institution of marriage has been known to force marriage it is also in the market of arranged marriage and polygamous marriage so you kind of messed up that argument didn't you.  Perhaps doing a little research before pouring your misinformation out.

And finally...

21.  WE AGREE WITH THE POLITICIANS

During the civil union debate, NZ politicians (including gay politicians)  argued that the Civil Union Bill was an acceptable alternative, and that marriage should only be for heterosexuals.  We agree.  Nothing has changed since then.

The following quotes were included in the flyer under the same headline so lets see what they have to say and if things have not changed...

HELEN CLARK (Labour):  "Marriage is only for heterosexuals.  The Government is not -- underline -- not, changing the Marriage Act.  That will remain as an option only for heterosexual couples."

NZ Herald June 21, 2004

This quote is taken out of context and the debate was whether or not same-sex couples could be recognised under Civil Union, it was not a debate about whether same-sex couples could get married or not.  The full quote can be seen in the original article at NZ Herold.  

TIM BARNETT (Labour):  "The Civil Union Bill is an acceptable alternative; marriage can remain untouched."

1st Reading Civil Union Bill

Civil Union Bill, not same-sex marriage bill.

METIRIA TUREI (Green):  "Marriage as understood in our society,  and as formalised in law, is a specific culturally and historically bound institution...This bill does not affect the Marriage Act.  It does not change in any way the structure, the validity, of the institution of marriage."

1st Reading Civil Union Bill.

Same thing, different quote.  Remember, this was back in 2004 - it is now 2013.

JOHN KEY (National):  "Marriage is an institution of the church, I don't think it is necessary to have that label put on every relationship."  2006

"I don't think there's a real need to change the current legislation or to adopt new legislation."  2008

Wrong on both accounts, but I have been over this before.  These two quotes which were two years apart are irrelevant to the current social climate.

Quoting these people is of course an argument from authority.  When we look at how many MP's there are, 121, these three quotes mean nothing.  Add to that the second reading of the same-sex marriage bill was easily passed 77-44 in favour of the same-sex bill; so its good to see Bob is agreeing with the politicians!  This is where I take an ad hominem attack at Bob McCoskrie - Bob, you are a meat sack! 

So that's the 21 reasons Bob has given to try and stop same-sex marriage.  It holds about as much water as a sieve and if you find this flyer abhorrent, as I did, please pass this on and let those that believe they are doing the work of an invisible man in the sky that they need to wake up and smell the Human Rights violation fines.

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Thank you all

Justin