The Marriage Debate: A Reflection
THE FAILURE of the Church to make any coherent and useful contribution to the recent debate on same-gender marriage led to it being side-lined. It failed to realise the debate was not about procreation or the upbringing of children solely in a dual-gender marriage. It did not understand that the battle was being fought on the grounds of justice and mercy, grounds which are supported by Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce, as will be shown in the biblical section below. This article will explore what history, culture, liturgy and the Bible have to say about the way ahead. The Argumentation of Society In the debate on the Irish Referendum question regarding the redefinition of marriage to include same-gender couples, the campaign for a Yes vote centred on the issue of Justice. The demand was for equality of treatment under the law regarding access to taxation benefits, inheritance rights and constitutional protections (not just legal ones):
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Simon J Lumby
is Archdeacon of Limerick.