Australia has followed the rest of the world’s Western nations by legalizing those of the same gender to ‘marry’. Will this have an affect on Christians?
‘Christians in Australia are looking to their Parliament for protection after a campaign to legalize same-gender marriage.
Australia conducted an unprecedented mail survey of voters and 62 percent of those returning the postal cards favored same-gender marriage.
The issue is being discussed now with a plan by Parliament to rush through a new law by early December when Parliament ends its 2017 session.
Despite the lopsided results the campaign does not reflect the views of many Austrialians, especially Christian believers in the country, says Jack Sonnemann, who heads the Australian Federation for the Family.
“We do have Christian activist groups here in the nation that are lobbying Parliament,” he says, “and trying to get some sanity into this situation to let the parliamentarians know that marriage should be as our marriage act proclaims: the voluntary union of one man and one woman entered into for life.”
The battle is on as Dean Smith, an openly homosexual Australian senator, has introduced a bill to limit those who refuse to take part in or recognize homosexual marriage, including pastors and their churches.
Another battle before lawmakers is the impact, if same-gender marriage is legalized, on those who oppose homosexual marriage, especially Christians.
Some senators, in fact, are pushing for amendments to protect business owners, no doubt aware of Christian bakers and others in the U.S. fighting – and losing – a legal battle to adhere to their beliefs despite sweeping laws.
“There needs to be several parliamentary amendments to come in to where their Christian conscience won’t be violated,” Sonnemann says.’ https://www.onenewsnow.com/culture/2017/11/17/christians-in-australia-fight-to-remain-so
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