Australia’s High Court has overturned legislation allowing gay marriage in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), reports the BBC.
The ACT parliament passed a bill in October making the territory the first part of Australia to legalise same-sex weddings.
But the national government challenged the decision, saying it was inconsistent with federal law, which specified in 2004 that marriage was between a man and a woman. The court said the issue should be decided by parliament – which in September 2012 voted down gay marriage legislation.
It appears that the ACT legislators, and the activists who led a rush to ‘marry’ in the Territory, were attempting to ‘bounce’ Australia into federal-wide gay marriage. However, the result is that 27 tearful couples who ‘married’ since the law came into effect last weekend will now have their unions declared invalid.
In a statement, the Australian Christian Lobby, which opposes gay marriage, said: “Marriage between a man and a woman is good for society and beneficial for governments to uphold in legislation.
“It is about providing a future for the next generation where they can be raised by their biological parents, wherever possible,” the statement said, adding that “it is now time to move on”.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who leads a Liberal-National coalition, opposes same-sex marriage. Last year, a bill allowing same-sex marriage was voted down in both houses of Australia’s national parliament.
In April, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalise gay marriage. Gay marriage is also legal in countries including the United Kingdom (from next year), Canada, France, Argentina, and South Africa, and some US states.
The Bible specifies that marriage is between a man and a woman, so Australia’s parliament stands on surer ground than the others mentioned. Jesus Christ took human sexuality right back to the way God made us when he said:
Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
Becoming ‘one flesh’ speaks of an emotional and spiritual bond which is expressed at a physical level in the conjugal act. Two men or two women can never become ‘one flesh’, lacking between them the necessary complentary parts of the anatomy. They cannot be married.
Leviticus, which forms part of God’s revealed law code, condemns adultery, child sacrifice, homosexual acts and bestiality in consecutive verses:
Lev 18:20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. 21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. 22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
It is important for us to remember that Jesus Christ has the title of King of kings. God demands to rule in the affairs of men:
Psalm 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Interestingly, after God warns the people of Israel against the sins listed above, he says:
Lev 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: 25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
God brought judgment on the Canaanites. What will he do to Britain, to Canada, to France and New Zealand? The Bible singles out the lawmakers for criticism. In the words of the prophet Micah:
Micah 2:1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
While the Psalmist says:
Psalm 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Psalm 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
Sadly, when a civilisation is overthrown, it is not only the leaders who perish. We all suffer. That is why the public good demands that Christians stand up, like the Australian Christian Lobby have done, like, with God’s grace and help, we are doing, and warn them from the word of God:
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
If we do not warn, we are like Ezekiel’s famous watchman, who saw trouble coming and did not warn the people:
Eze 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
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Good decision but no doubt this will be in turn , overturned under the PC, liberal equality lobby after a a huge bleat about persecution.
Let these people have their fun the Great White Throne is waiting and judgement is inevitable and will be according to God’s word.
The struggle is ongoing, Christian men and women MUST stand up in this fight and not leave it to others,
We have a strong God but He asks us all to fight ‘ the good fight’.
If only our lawmakers would read the Bible and believe what they read !
Thank you for those appropriate verses.
Thank God for the Bishop of Birkenhead lifting his head above the parapet and submitting a well
researched and well argued Biblical case against same-sex “marriage”. He will attract lots of flak
in the forthcoming discussions by the Bench of Bishops.
This seems very unfair on homosexuals who remained celibate until they were legally married, then fulfilled their desires, and now find that this was unchaste. No wonder they are in tears.
I don’t think many modern legislations would consider adultery anywhere near as serious as child sacrifice.
It’s a strange thing, which has never occurred to me before, that these commandments seem to be written only for men, not for women. It doesn’t say :
Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s husband, to defile thyself with him.
or
Thou shalt not lie with womankind, as with mankind: it is abomination.
I doubt if there was even one celibate couple waiting for their ‘marriage’ among them. Restraint is not part of the fabric of homosexual life, Rox.
Yes, part of the problem of modern life is that adultery is not seen as seriously as the ancients saw it.
Men are supposed to be leaders in their families and to take responsibility. When Dinah got into a romantic tangle with local prince Shechem, her brothers didn’t say to her, ‘You little harlot’, they said of Shechem ‘Why should he treat our sister like a harlot?’ (Gen 34:31) which puts the onus on the man. I agree with you, it seems a little unfair, but who am I to judge?
You are Stephen of Christian Voice, and you do make judgements sometimes.
You aren’t saying, are you, that adultery should be taken as seriously as child sacrifice ?
You’ve got to admit that although adultery may still be a problem of modern life (as it certainly seems to have been at the time of the Old Testament), we have very nearly stamped out child sacrifice. That’s a lovely thought for Christmas.
Except that our version of child sacrifice is shedding innocent blood in every abortion facility in the land.
The Word of our Lord is clear for our guidance. This guidance is for our joy and benefit.
It is good, the wishes of the majority of the country of Australia, are being taken into consideration. The judgement of or God overlies the UK and those who presume to enthrone the act of sodomy. For those who are actively engaged in such practice there is an escape from such an active life style. This Christmas, we are reminded of the Lord of glory sending his only begotten (Unique) Son to deliver us back to a wholesome relationship with our Lord whose creation we are. It is a message of grace and love.
This is good news, however it has been pointed out:
“s 51(xxi) [of the Australian Constitution] gives the federal Parliament power to pass a law providing for same sex marriage … The status of marriage, the social institution which that status reflects, and the rights and obligations which attach to that status [marriage] never have been, and are not now, immutable … When used in s 51(xxi), “marriage” is a term which includes a marriage between persons of the same sex.”
Thus, apparently, the Federal Parliament could in future allow same-sex marriages, so defenders of traditional marriage must be prepared for fresh onslaughts.
Perhaps this is why they won the ashes! Seriously though, God’s judgement rests on a nation that tramples underfoot His Holy Laws and that is why the UK is in such a terrible state.
Further to my last post – there is a tragic story in today’s Daily Mail about a lady, who was in “civil partnership”, hanging herself.
It is a sad fact that gays are more likely to commit suicide than normal people. Clearly, these people need the peace that only Jesus can give. One truly hopes that they will find that peace by repenting of their sins and accepting the Saviour.