SA church leaders won’t tell Christians how to vote in same-sex marriage postal vote

SOUTH Australian church leaders are not telling their flock to vote no in the same-sex marriage postal vote.

SOUTH Australian church leaders are not telling their flock to vote no in the same-sex marriage postal vote.

The Advertiser spoke to leaders of several religious denominations on the Federal Government’s controverisal postal plebiscite on whether the definition of marriage should change.

Ballot papers will be sent out in September and already the respective campaigns have ramped up ahead of the historic vote.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference was last week told that “changing marriage” could prevent religious organisations from being able to employ staff who believe marriage should be exclusively between a man and woman.

It also heard issues that some people faced while teaching the changes in faith-based schools.

Religious organisations are currently reminding their faithful of a traditional view on the definition of marriage but acknowledge the diversity of opinions within their communities.

Anglican Archbishop Geoffrey Smith said his hope was that local Anglicans would debate respectfully.

“Whether they are for or against a change in the definition of marriage, (people) will participate in the debate in a way which is a blessing to those around them and will ensure Adelaide Anglican churches are a welcoming place for all,” he said.

But Archbishop Smith warned that if the definition of marriage is changed, “widespread protections will need to be carefully put in place to protect the right of all Australians to hold and live out religious beliefs” including those concerning marriage.

Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson is also not be instructing parishioners on how to vote.

He said he will encourage SA Catholics to exercise “their right and duty as citizens to participate respectfully in the national dialogue on same sex marriage and to have their say”.

“I ask Catholics to do so in a spirit of grace and a deep sense of reverence, without criticism, abuse or denigration of others,” he said.

Uniting Church SA Moderator Rev Sue Ellis said: “We encourage people to vote as they see fit and as they feel guided by God”.

Lutheran Church of Australia Bishop John Henderson said the Government has “a legitimate right to regulate marriage” for the benefit of the society.

“The church does not seek to intervene in that process,” he said. “If our country changes the definition of marriage, the church is not necessarily bound to change its own understanding of marriage.”

Bishop Henderson did however, ask that it be given “the freedom to continue to practise marriage according to our long-held theological and doctrinal understandings”.

While it is understood the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a policy of not instructing its members on how to vote in a political process, it has not confirmed if this applies to the postal vote on same sex marriage

The cut-off date to enrol to vote is August 24, and all postal votes must be received by Tuesday, November 7.