Churches are in a muddle, parties are divided and a survey shows public opinion is in favour of same-sex marriage but confused over the introduction of legislative recognition of marriage.
At the Labour party’s three-yearly congress last December, the party announced a new approach to same-sex marriage.
This was after a popular video in favour of same-sex unions was published on the Internet, triggering a heated debate.
The party’s new policy did not bring any concrete results because Congress also approved a proposal by Prime Minister Julia Gillard (who personally opposes same-sex unions) who asked for Labour MPs to be able to cast a conscience vote, without following the party’s directives very closely.
Two bills presented by a Green and Labour MP respectively, aimed at amending the current law on marriage, have been under examination for the past six months. The final vote is not expected to be cast immediately but it is unlikely the reform will go through because while the Labour party will be able cast a vote of conscience, opposition leader Tony Abbot has forced his party members to reject it, even if they are in favour.
Meanwhile, religious leaders are not sitting by and watching: Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, and Anglican archbishop, Peter Jensen, contemporaneously sent out two letters, which were read and distributed across all churches last Sunday.
In their letters the two clerics declared themselves to be against same-sex marriage and the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church, Stilianos Harkianakis, said it was his “sacred duty” to put pressure on MPs to vote against the reform.
Meanwhile, the Baptist church pastor, Mike Hercock, accused other churches of scaremongering and insisted Christians should be able to decide freely for themselves.
Those who support the proposals are accusing churches of unfounded scaremongering. Australian Marriage Equality’s spokesman, Alex Greenwich, said religious leaders have every right to make their positions known, but urged Christians who defend the right of same-sex couples to marry, to do the same.