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Monday, 17 June 1996
Page: 1960

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled:

The petition of the undersigned shows that:

We believe that the traditional Christian view of the family unit excludes anything other than a male and female, living in a lawful marriage relationship, along with their children, and that it is necessary for this to be restated by our political leaders.

We reaffirm our belief in the traditional Christian view of marriage as God's holy institution in which male and female become one flesh. (Genesis 2.24; Matthew 19.5,6)

We reaffirm that God is the author of marriage, and has restricted it to the union of male with female and that such marriage between male and female is commended in Scripture as honourable among all. (Ephesians 5.15-23)

We reaffirm that such marriage between male and female is ordained for life-long companionship, help and comfort which husband and wife ought to have of each other. (Romans 7.2,3)

We reaffirm that children are a heritage of the Lord and should be nurtured in a godly home, and that human society can be strong and happy only where the marriage bond is held in honour. (Psalm 127.3)

We reaffirm that incestuous marriages can never be made lawful by the law of any man or government, or the consent of parties, so as to allow those people to live together as married couples. (Mark 6.18; Leviticus 18.6-28)

We reaffirm that, according to Biblical law, it is forbidden for a male to practise sexual intercourse with another male, or for a female with a female, and that since this is an abomination before the Lord, such as a prohibited relationship for marriage. (Leviticus 18.22; 20.13)

We believe the entire stability and well being of our society depends on maintaining this traditional Christian view of marriage and family (Leviticus 20.15-16; 18.23-24)

Your Petitioners ask that the House of Representatives should call on the Government to:

(a) Preserve completely intact the exclusiveness of marriage as being one male and one female.

(b) That the definition of a prohibited relationship in the Marriage Act 1961, Part III 23(2) be amended with the addition of a new clause (c) so that it reads as follows:

(2) Marriages of parties within a prohibited relationship are marriages—

(a) between a person and an ancestor or descendant of the person; or

(b) between a brother and a sister (whether of the whole blood or the half blood); or

(c) between a male and a male or between a female and a female.

Your Petitioners humbly pray.

by
Mr Causley
,
Mr Martin
,
Mr Sharp
and
Mrs West