Pastoral Letter to Be Read Out in Churches

3 October 2012
Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill

To: Pastors, Ministers, and Church leaders

Date: 3 October 2012

We would be grateful if this could be shared with your congregations on Sun 7 or 14 Oct.

Rev Dr Laurie Guy Lecturer Carey Baptist College
Pastor Rasik Ranchord Spokesperson on Public Issues, New Life Churches
International
Pastor Iliafi Esera General Superintendent, New Zealand Assemblies of God
Rev Dr Sarah Harris Carey Baptist College (Anglican)
Rev Craig Vernall National Leader, Baptist Churches of New Zealand
Rev Dr Stuart Lange Presbyterian Minister, Lecturer
Martien Kelderman Chairman, New Zealand Christian Network National Board

Pastoral Letter to Be Read Out in Churches on

7 or 14 OCTOBER 2012

Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill

The issue of redefining marriage should be of concern to all New Zealanders. Among national Church leaders there is widespread agreement that changing the definition of marriage away from one man and one woman, would not be in the best interests of society.

A media statement to this effect was issued by 70 national leaders, Protestant and Catholic, on 29 August 2012; others have added their names to the list since then. The statement has been posted on New Zealand Christian Network’s website

www.nzchristiannetwork.org.nz.

This issue is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. Neither is it about equality. Rather it is about the essential nature of marriage. All human beings are equal in the sight of both God and society, but not all relationships are the same. Marriage is uniquely about the union of male and female. The State should not presume to re-engineer a basic human institution. The complementary role of male and female is basic to the very character of marriage, along with having and raising children.

This bill has passed its first reading and is now in the submissions phase. The deadline for written submissions is Friday 26 October, (less than 3 weeks away), and we are encouraging Christians to make submissions before that date. It is important to let members of parliament know what we think about this issue.

Prior to the second reading (possibly in March or April next year) it would be helpful for people to make personal approaches to their local members of parliament.

NZ Christian Network has issued a media release (see attached) encouraging Christians to take time to seek God’s heart before writing their submission with grace and truth. We support that call.

Details of how to make a submission and where to send it to can be found at the NZ Christian Network website.

[ENDS]

NZCN Press - Media release

Marriage definition bill? Gracious responses please.

1 October 2012

NZ Christian Network is encouraging Christians and all others who are intending to make a submission on the Marriage Definition Amendment bill, to do so, and to take time to seek God’s heart before writing it.

National Director Glyn Carpenter said that while it is highly probable that this bill will not be good for New Zealand, some of the comments he has heard over the past few weeks lack perspective and would be more likely to undermine the argument than support it.

This bill, on its own, will not bring about the destruction of society as we know it, he said. Marriage is already facing a number of challenges, and anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that families and society are weaker - and poorer - as a result.

What politicians should be doing is looking at what needs to be done to strengthen marriage, not spending time debating bills whose main outcome would be to further undermine it.

We urge anyone concerned about this issue to make a submission, and to do so with language and a tone of voice that is gracious and respectful. It is possible to talk so much or speak so ‘loudly’ that people can’t hear what we are saying. It is also possible for language to reflect a ‘tone of voice’ which does not communicate the love we are called to display.

We also ask people to not look for strategies which aim to undermine the democratic process. Such tactics are unlikely to succeed, and could well have the opposite effect to that intended. The quality of the submissions is even more important than the number of submissions.

We would also ask the very small number of people who are actually pushing for this bill, to consider the greater good for New Zealand and not just what they see as their own rights – to look at the bigger picture and the good of society as a whole. If there are legitimate rights which they do not already have under civil union legislation, surely these can be discussed, and if necessary addressed, in a way which does not further undermine the institution of marriage in New Zealand society?

ENDS

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