Stylish same-sex campaign glosses over real issues
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By Peter Jensen, Sydney Morning Herald
We are in the midst of a sustained and brilliantly orchestrated campaign to radically alter the marriage laws of this country to allow same-sex marriage.
Three slogans carry the message: ''marriage equality'', ''marriage won't change'', ''it's inevitable''. Of course, the difficulty with slogans is that they are not arguments and, so, are hard to refute, except by slogans in return.
The ''marriage equality'' slogan trades on the commitment of our community to equality. We oppose distinctive traits, such as race, being taken into account when they are irrelevant.
Notice the word ''irrelevant''. We may, with justice, make quite acute distinctions between people. For a political party to be allowed to hire someone who shares their political convictions is fair. Likewise, it is perfectly allowable for two men or two women to be prevented from entering as partners in a mixed doubles competition of tennis. The reality of the world God made is that human beings are in two sexes, male and female.
For marriage, that is supremely relevant.
In fact, all of us oppose ''marriage equality'' if that means it is the right of every person to marry anyone they choose.
We may not marry a minor, for example, even if we want to and if the minor and his/her parents agree. There is a relevant difference. Nor may we marry a person already married. Bigamy is a crime, even if all parties agree to it. Likewise, siblings may not marry, even if they are past the age of having children.
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