By Dr Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney

I think it is quite likely that in 50 years’ time, our descendants will look back at this period of the history of our culture with wonder and bewilderment. Certainly if it were suggested 50 years ago that there would be dispute about the definition of marriage, all would have been amazed.
On any account of human life, marriage, home and family are bedrock institutions.  Human beings are not isolates. In every way, the newborn child remains dependent upon adult care and support. In fact, as we know, this dependency lasts for years.
It is clear from the teaching of the Bible that God has designed us to be nurtured in families in which there is both male and female leadership united in love.  Unfortunately, it is not always possible for everyone to enjoy this advantage, but it is certainly desirable and part of the original ideal.
By definition then, marriage is a life long exclusive union of a man and a woman. The tragedy of marriage breakdown is something that we, as a society, should be doing all we can to avoid for the sake of the men and women involved, and especially for the sake of the children. We ought to be doing all we can to create loving, stable and nurturing homes.
Marriage is so basic and so popular, but it has become a coveted name for other relationships, for example, that between two men or two women. But to spread the word ‘marriage’ to include such relationships is to obscure the fundamental aims of marriage itself, and to invite us to invent a new word which will describe permanent, exclusive and faithful relationships between a man and a woman.
It is entered into publicly by the exchange of promises. For the good of the whole community it needs to be fostered and protected. We who have made public promises should be held responsible for doing all we can to keep them. That is why we are expected to be true to each other, ‘for better or for worse, in sickness and in health’.
In the Bible God is often described as wise. His laws are full of wisdom and we find that following them leads to blessing. The wise person is the person who obeys the word of God.
We may be sure – no matter what our cultural gurus may be telling us – that the path of wisdom is to treat marriage exclusively as between a man and a woman. This is best for them and is the best place for the nurture of children.
I was glad to hear of the move in our Federal Parliament to amend the Marriage Act to make this point perfectly clear. I have written to both Mr Howard and Mr Latham urging them to support this move. Of course, there is much else that needs to be done, not least in strengthening our own homes and families, but this leadership from our Federal parliamentarians reflects the mind of God and helps our community to do the right thing.