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The Australian Labor Party is set for a religious backlash over its decision to support same-sex marriage and accusations that it has breached another of its election promises, to protect the Marriage Act, reports the Australian.
Focusing on the marginal seats of Corangamite, Deakin, Greenway, Reid and Moreton, on Sunday, religious leaders from across Australia warned the Labor Party that its about-turn on marriage would cost them parliamentary seats.
The Australian Labor Government currently enjoys the slimmest of majorities supported by the Greens and a range of Independent members.
Anglican Church Primate Phillip Aspinall said the Anglican general synod had discussed gay marriage, but supports the scriptural view of marriage; between man and woman in a lifelong union.
Cardinal George Pell was equally clear about the Catholic positon.
“Marriage is about man, woman and children, as it has always been. Any Australia-wide political party which repudiates this does not want to govern, and rejects both tradition and the working class,” Cardinal Pell said.
And Isse Musse, imam of the Virgin Mary Mosque in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee, and the spiritual leader of Melbourne’s Horn of Africa Muslim community, urged federal MPs to “look at the next 100 years and consider where families would be as they make this decision”.
“This is going to have some bearing on how people vote when elections come,” he said.
“If a person is a true Muslim – and these days there are bogus Muslims, as there are bogus Christians as well – and understands Islam, then a conscience vote would lead him or her to vote against same-sex marriage.”
In seconding the Labour Party motion on Saturday, Senator Penny Wong, herself in a lesbian relationship, explained the reason to change Labor’s platform.
“(We) want the same opportunity others have. To make a commitment to another. To have it recognised. To have it respected … Do not ask us any longer to accept our relations being treated as lesser.”
Sources
- The Australian
- Herald-Sun
- Sources: Clerical Whispers
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News category: World.
