Gay marriage could be allowed in New Zealand after Labour MP Louisa Wall had her Bill drawn from the Members’ ballot today.
The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill would enable same sex marriages and would have implications for gay adoption.
It is likely to be a conscience vote.
The Government has further battles on its hands after Labour had four out of five bills drawn from the Members’ ballot.
The Members’ ballot is drawn every time the progression of bills on Members’ night makes room for Parliament to debate further legislation.
MPs can only have one bill in their name in the ballot.
Today’s ballot was considered a record because it will see five new bills introduced to Parliament.
See full story: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7354142/Parliament-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-bill
The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill
The temptation is to put the energy into fighting gay ‘rights’ (remembering that human ‘rights’ are only human in source and authority, as they have no actual [ultimate, real, God-given] substance, faced with God’s declared standards when it comes to the final accounting) when it seems to me that what those of us who weep over the [moral] decline of this country through limitless liberal betrayals, ought instead to do, is to uphold and applaud what this society already applauds [in law i.e. the Judaeo-Christian framework and foundations already established in current law].
How about [applauding and highlighting] the right [upheld in law] of Christians to observe their faith and the sanctity of their God-appointed version of marriage (and everything else that is under attack) and instead of attacking the other guys ‘rights’, whatever they are supposed to be; start a smart and continual demand for our “rights” to be protected. Abominations, such as any attempt to force Christian ministers to perform rites of ‘marriage’ for same sex couples (and this is not so far fetched, look at the UK) need surely to be met with by an insistence on said ministers rights [in law] to comply with the requirements of their own faith and standards.
I hasten to point out that all these things are going to just get worse because Scripture makes it plain that they will and it is actually a lack of faith to think that we can totally reverse it [i.e. the moral decline]. But we are called to be “a living testimony”, hence my plea that we don’t do the same old “anti” this or that, but rather start a parallel lobby and social pressure movement with the singular goal of preserving at the least the “equal right” in law to behave and comply with our faith within NZ law while doing so.
Such a change of focus and tactic would be hard for the other side to fight as it wouldn’t be about condemning them (they already stand condemned according to the revelation of Scripture, so bagging them actually adds very little), but rather testifying along the lines of Joshua.. “As for me and my house”, we won’t betray the Lord by joining in what the rest of you are choosing.. “rather, we will SERVE to Lord”.
Half the reason the Church has lost its moral authority is because it has lacked the integrity (before God) to oppose those many churches that think [and proclaim] that appeasement is the way [to deal with the issues of moral decline].
Please do spread this thought far and wide for debate, for unless we “strengthen what remains”, these changes will swallow up the little remaining sound moral base NZ has left.
Shalom
Warwick- A believer in the Scripture and the Gospel of Y’shua (Jesus) the Messiah
Marriage in my book is constituted between a man and a woman and was given by God. Anything else is a mockery of Gods nature. If it were not that God had given us marriage in the first place then the word would be unknown and so to the institution of it. There are warnings from prophets of old that plagues will be poured out on the earth should this institution be abused. Be warned.