New Zealand Church Stokes More Controversy

**Andrew49** · 19-10-2012, 09:58 AM

A provocative Auckland church that regularly stirs opinions with its billboards is doing it again with one showing two women getting married. As debate rages over the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill before Parliament, St Matthew-in-the-City unveiled a billboard showing two women in bridal gowns atop a wedding cake.

The billboard states "we don't care who's on top".

Reverend Clay Nelson said it should come as "no surprise" that St Matthew's endorses the bill as it has a long history of supporting the LGBTQ community in both the church and society.

"Our question is why would any church not endorse two people making a loving commitment to each other? Through our billboard we are expressing our solidarity with the many Christians in many denominations who are calling on Members of Parliament to support Louisa Wall's bill."

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**Captain Con O'Sullivan** · 19-10-2012, 10:48 AM

Good for them. Marriage is a social ceremony and a human social ceremony at that. it isn't owned by churches or religions despite their attempts to do so.

It should be possible for civil government to politely point out to any church in any jurisdiction this truth.

Marriage is owned by humans as a ceremony and there is no intellectual property issue involved.

**fluffybiscuits** · 19-10-2012, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Con O'Sullivan

Good for them. Marriage is a social ceremony and a human social ceremony at that. it isn't owned by churches or religions despite their attempts to do so.

It should be possible for civil government to politely point out to any church in any jurisdiction this truth.

Marriage is owned by humans as a ceremony and there is no intellectual property issue involved.

+1 The church seems to have taken ownership of what is essentially now a cultural tradition rather than a religious tradition and used this position to foist upon us rules that we are as humans only allowed to marry certain people as laid down in guidelines by them. This morning on Newstalk there was a discussion on gay adoption with the usual right wing mouth pieces from the Iona Institute and the usual cat-lick whinging of "wont someone think of dem childer". For too long religious establishments have been allowed to discriminate based on their ethos that if something goes against their teachings we should ban it.

**Holly** · 19-10-2012, 03:35 PM

It must help those who actually believe in the supernatural and want a deity to bless their union.

**Captain Con O'Sullivan** · 19-10-2012, 03:40 PM

Well there have been thousands of deities out there so perhaps the answer is to open all churches to all sorts of deities for wedding ceremonies.

Particularly in societies where one or more places of worship are subsidised by the entire society.

Demeter might be appropriate for a female/female wedding, or 'The Lady', Artemis, one would imagine Sappho would be appropriate as a reading...

Can you imagine the puce colour of Ireland's bishops if they were informed they had to set aside time for other gods to be conjured up to witness a lesbian or homosexual ceremony.

Probably finish many of them via coronaries. HEY! ....