OUTRAGED: Graeme Lee, OPPOSED: Colin Craig. CONCERNED: Gordon Copeland

Christians must stand firm

Marriage between a man and a woman is the general consensus of the majority of people Challenge Weekly approached for comment on what appears to be growing support in the country for ‘gay marriage’.

Green Party MP Kevin Hague and Labour MP Louisa Wall both plan to draft bills supporting ‘same-sex marriage’ and a TVNZ poll showed majority support for a legal change to allow gay marriage. Another poll conducted in June by Herald-Digipoll, of 750 people, saw over 50 per cent of respondents in support of legalising gay marriage.

Former National Party MP and head of the Evangelism and Discipling Centre, the Rev Graeme Lee, said if the bill was drawn out of the ballot box, being a private members bill, it would become a conscience vote. “I think even Labour would have it as a conscience vote,” said Mr Lee.

“I would certainly hope that every member would strike the proposed bill out on the first reading. It is totally preposterous and against everything that we value marriage for. It is yet another attempt by the liberal front to demean and demolish marriage as being between a man and a woman and this is an absolute foundation value of our Judeo-Christian society.”   Mr Lee fears that if such a bill ever went through it would give rise to legal adoption of children by gay couples.

Former United Future MP Gordon Copeland worked on the issue of gay marriage when he was an MP. He also reiterated that marriage was between a man and a woman and “it was established by God as the foundation of family life, society and culture.”

Mr Copeland said New Zealand’s High Court, in 1998, upheld the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

Similar concerns were expressed by Colin Craig, the leader of the Conservative Party. “This is a debate about whether we as a country will have respect for the many people who consider marriage to be between a man and a woman. It’s not about equality and rights.

“The Civil Unions Act (2004), followed by The Relationships Act (2008), changed over 160 pieces of legislation to ensure that homosexuals and de-facto couples were not being discriminated against,” Mr Craig pointed out.

“This debate is purely and simply about who can use the word marriage. There are many interested parties in this debate. Traditional marriage between a man and a woman has significance culturally, historically, religiously and morally for many New Zealanders,” said Mr Craig.

The Government has not made the issue a priority, with Prime Minister John Key saying that he and the National Party is focussed on many other issues and the “difficult economic times”.

— Reported by Michael Hamilton