14 October 2015 A.D. SYDNEY, AUS: Anglican Synod of Sydney reaffirms marriage
14 October 2015 A.D. SYDNEY,
AUS: Anglican Synod of Sydney reaffirms marriage
The motion was passed unamended.
Powell,
Russel. “Sydney Reaffirms Marriage.” Sydney
Anglicans. 14 Oct 2015. http://sydneyanglicans.net/news/synod-reaffirms-marriagehttp://sydneyanglicans.net/news/synod-reaffirms-marriage.
Accessed 15 Oct 2015.
A
capacity-crowd at the Sydney Synod has voted for a re-affirmation of marriage
as between a man and a woman and called for all Australian Christians to
respectfully engage in the public debate on redefining marriage.
“If
we don’t do this - what will our silence say?” argued Tara Sing, who spoke as
seconder of the reaffirmation motion.
Mrs
Sing echoed a call from Archbishop Glenn Davies, in his Presidential Address to
the Synod, when he said “It is time that all Christians, especially Anglicans,
should enter the discussion and graciously and sensitively explain the reasons
why our good Creator has made marriage the way he has.”
Synod
delegate Tara Sing speaks during the debate
Canon
Sandy Grant, of Wollongong, moved the resolution, which “affirms once
again that marriage, as a gift from God who made us male and female, is the
union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered
into for life” and urged the Federal Parliament to uphold that definition.
The
motion also “recognises that marriage is a bedrock institution of society,
designed for its good order and the secure and loving care of children by their
own mother and father” and
“notes, nonetheless, that many children are lovingly cared for in other
contexts, and affirms
that the welfare of such children must be paramount, along with support for their parents and other carers.”
The
motion also “condemns violence any violence against or mistreatment of our
neighbours who identify as gay or lesbian,bisexual, trans or intersex (LGBTI).”that the welfare of such children must be paramount, along with support for their parents and other carers.”
It
was passed overwhelmingly by the Synod.
Later,
the Synod heard a report from Bishop Robert Forsyth, Chair of the Religious
Freedom Group, on whether clergy should retain their marriage licences were
same-sex unions to be redefined as marriage.
The
report said there were fears that if marriage was redefined, ministers might feel
as though there were complicit in the changes, by continuing to be marriage
celebrants, even if they were not forced to conduct same-sex ceremonies.
Bishop
Forsyth told the Synod that the Anglican marriage service was ‘unambiguous’
when it declared that "those who marry otherwise than God's word allows
are not joined together by God, neither is their matrimony lawful in his
sight."
Dr
Michael Stead, who seconded the motion, said “On the issue of marriage in
particular, we must not abandon the public space, because marriage is a
creation ordinance.”
The
Rev Ray Robinson, rector of Katoomba, wanted the motion amended so that there
was no recommendation to continue as marriage celebrants.
“What
kind of a statement are we making to society if we just roll on as usual if
this change takes place?” Mr Robinson said. “The minister is still acting as an
agent of the state under a definition of marriage which is false.”
The motion was passed unamended.
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