Notes: Wednesday, June 30, 2010

An accurate reflection of present-day Australian views on marriage and family?

Today's Herald's letters page is leading with the reaction to an article (which I seem to have missed) by a well-known relationships counsellor who apparently suggested that living in sin is inferior to being married. Eight letters, to which two sections, and the first two, of the letters page have been devoted, were published on the matter, all of them from women, none of them supporting the counsellor's views, and some of them objecting to them quite vehemently. I wonder whether the coming days will see any supporters of the natural law's commands and prohibitions in domestic matters sending in their letters? Presumably they haven't already, or the Herald would have published them, if only for balance.

"How Far We Have Sunk- a case for censorship as a social good"

Mr. Michael Webb has posted at Cath Pews a link to an interesting Australian Catholic Truth Society pamphlet on censorship. The pamphlet is quite long but might be worth reading if you have the time.

Confirmed: Ms Gillard is an atheist

Until this disclosure The Hon. Julia Gillard M.P. apparently identified as a "non-practising Baptist", but clearly not any more:

Julia Gillard on Jon Faine ABC 774 yesterday:

Faine: Do you believe in God?

Gillard: No, I don't, Jon, I'm not a religious person. I'm of course a great respecter of religious beliefs but they're not my beliefs, Jon.
[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/the-prime-minister-was-the-great-pretender/story-e6frg6zo-1225885911523
See also
http://www.smh.com.au/national/pm-nudged-about-wrath-of-god-20100629-zjcw.html?skin=text-only
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/julia-gillard-risks-christian-vote-with-doubts-on-god/story-e6frg6nf-1225885897505
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/julia-gillard-respects-religious-beliefs-but-will-not-pretend-to-have-faith-for-votes/story-e6frgczf-1225885581225]

One wonders whence she thinks the binding force of the laws which she takes part in enacting comes. Or maybe, like any atheist who follows his or her beliefs to their logical conclusions, she does not think that laws impose any true obligation.

Blog comment by me:

At Coo-ees:

Cardinal Pole said...

"And all because "Jesus sat with the sinners and the saints"."

I'm having trouble working out the missing step/s in Ms Keneally's logical sequence:

Jesus sat with sinners and saints.
[Missing step/s]
Therefore we should legislate for adoption by same-sex couples.

"Is this an issue to remind Catholic politicians of the consequences in the life of the church?"

A very good question.

June 30, 2010 3:37 AM
Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval.
[http://coo-eesfromthecloister.blogspot.com/2010/06/in-principle-support-for-gay-adoption.html]

Reginaldvs Cantvar

Commemoration of St. Paul, Apostle, A.D. 2010

On the Adoption Amendment (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2010

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hanstrans.nsf/V3ByKey/LA20100624

Here's what Cr. Clover Moore M.P. had to say when she moved "That this bill be now agreed to in principle":

My Adoption Amendment (Same Sex Couples) Bill will make same-sex couples legally eligible to adopt. It will provide for the introduction of a second-parent adoption provision similar to the existing step-parent adoption provision, and allow same-sex couples to be assessed for adoption as a couple. Importantly, under the bill, adoption laws would treat families headed by same-sex couples in the same way as families headed by heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples in Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory already have these rights. Specifically, the bill changes the definitions for "couple" and "spouse" provided in the Adoption Act from "a man and a woman who are married or who have a de facto relationship" to "persons who are de facto partners, whether they are of the same or opposite sex".

So it's what the recent Inquiry into adoption by same-sex couples recently recommended but which the Government declined to pursue. Saturday's edition of the Herald and yesterday's edition of The Punch each carried opinion pieces, both of them rubbish, in favour of the move, and as far as I know none of Sydney's mainstream media have run any articles against the move, though it was pleasing to see a good number of comments against it in the combox at that piece at The Punch. If I had more time I'd write a post refuting the arguments of Cr. Moore, Ms Pryor, and Mr. Raj, but I don't, so refer to the contents of this blog's "G.L.B.T." tag, and in particular the end of this post, for the case against adoption by same-sex couples. (In an nutshell, though: It is to be rejected for the good--chiefly the complementary influence of parents of both sexes--of which it deprives children and for the evil--chiefly the bad moral example, the scandal, which the lifestyle of two people living in open defiance of the natural law inflicts on the children in their care--in which it immerses the children involved.)

Meanwhile, New South Wales's "devout Catholic" Premier, The Hon. Kristina Keneally M.P., has the following to say on the matter:

"My religious views do not play a part in the legislation that I as a leader of the Labor Party bring before the government," she said.

"If I look at the gospel message it is one of acceptance, it is one of love ... Jesus sat with the sinners and the saints and he was not a man of judgment but rather a man of love".
[http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/keneally-says-religion-wont-impact-bill-20100628-ze83.html]

But even that wasn't politically correct enough!

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally under fire over religious parable

AAP June 28, 2010 3:31PM

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally says she didn't mean to compare homosexuals to "sinners" in a religious parable.

The devout Catholic was answering questions about the same-sex adoption Bill, introduced to Parliament last week by independent MP and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Today, she reaffirmed her "in principle" support for the bill and said she would allow Labor MPs a conscience vote.

When asked to reconcile her progressive view on adoption with her religious background, she replied: "Jesus sat with the sinners and the saints and he was not a man of judgment but rather a man of love".

The Premier was later forced to clarify her position, saying her choice of words was not a direct comparison between "sinners" and same-sex couples.

"That's not all what I meant to say," she said.

"My point is this - is that Jesus loved all. He loved all and he accepted all. And for me that is the strongest message that comes out of the gospel." [...]
[http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-premier-kristina-keneally-under-fire-over-religious-parable/story-e6freuyi-1225885280698
See also
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/come-in-sinners-keneallys-gay-slip-20100628-zf9d.html?skin=text-only]

Reginaldvs Cantvar

Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, Apostles, A.D. 2010