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The Future of Marriage
The Future of Marriage (in the Uniting Church)
The redefining of the meaning of marriage has divided the public and Christian Church. After political parties have decided on their policies, the issue is unlikely to be quickly resolved by the Uniting Church.
In 2003 and 2006 the National Assembly of the Uniting Church made it possible for people in same-sex relationships to exercise leadership in the Church and in June 2010 Uniting Network conducted a "sacred union ceremony" in a Uniting Church and same-sex relationships were blessed. Having gone this far it is expected that a liturgy for such unions will be presented for approval at the 13th U.C. National Assembly in July 2012.
The Assembly may decide to stand by its statement in 1997 that Christian Marriage is a union between a man and woman but having already opened the door to the slippery slope of divergent sexual practises and wanting to be seen as progressive it will be expected to endorse same-sex practise as a "sacred union", (eg a holy union coming from God) a distinction that can only be advanced by distorting the biblical witness. With this drifting social and theological ethos that blurs the importance of gender difference and marriage the A.C.C. seminar "The Future of Marriage in the Uniting Church" held at Mt Waverly recently was of strategic importance. Three speakers presented valuable insights and helpful material that needs serious and wide spread consideration.
Peter Bentley traced the devolution of Christian marriage highlighting the contemporary trend to focus on our right to define marriage. Instead of life long commitment today, Peter explained that marriage has become a matter of individual fulfilment and in many cases a "try before you buy" approach adopted. He referred to couples who make their own suitable marriage vows and a recent celebrity who gained millions of dollars from a marriage that lasted 70 days. Peter pointed to a 77.4% increase in co-habitation and the avoidance of life long commitment. He pointed out that today priority is given to the details of the wedding event itself and may involve the Footy club or McDonalds rather than the sacred meaning of marriage. While in 1973, 83% of people had a religious marriage by 2003 only 33% sought a religious rite.
It was made clear that Christian marriage is a public, lifelong commitment between a man and woman to each other, Matt.22:30-32,a monogamous sexual relationship, I Cor.7:1-5,with an openness to children, John 3:6-8. Christian marriage it was said is more than an individual right, an individual contract, it is a holy sacred union.
Rev Ron Brookman who is linked with ‘Living Waters Australia', a counselling service for people with confused sexual identity brought a candid openness and a powerful testimony to the healing and wholeness of the gospel. He shared something of his own struggle and the present spiritual battle raging over brokenness of gender. He pointed out that when the male, female gender is attacked then the image of God is attacked and that it strikes at the base of marriage and family. Ron's message focused on equality in the male, female gender found in their complementarity. He said that the Christian Gospel and marriage is all about life. Gender complementarity releases a river of life based on mutual giving and receiving and the family becomes a sanctuary of life. Marriage creates family that is like a trellis where children grow and learn what love is about. The Christian family is to be a testimony to the fullness of life where the image of God is reflected and transmitted to society. He said the church needs to stand firm for wholeness found in the clear image of God and we should be concerned when the church seriously minimizes the significance of different gender.
ACC National Director Rev Dr Max Champion asked the question, "Why has heterosexual marriage, an institution ordained by God, suddenly become a culturally conditioned arrangement that needs to be modified as other social practises have evolved?" Max likened this perspective of reality to a modern Gnosticism that focuses on a special self-knowledge. This knowledge was said to have been linked to a ‘divine spark' within. In its original form Gnostic knowledge was a superior psychic knowledge over matter and things physical and it was considered superior to what it regarded as an oppressive patriarchal model. Truth and divinity did not come through history or the commandments but from within. Gnosticism rejected the truth of the Word becoming flesh and it replaced redemptive love with a love of its own. The biblical text was not needed because interpretation depended on one's own psyche. Sexuality was no longer understood in terms of male, female gender. A form of uni-sex and social inclusion was celebrated. It was pointed out that traces of these concepts of a shared inner spirituality and androgynous marriage could be found in the Gospel of Thomas.
Max likened the presupposition of the ‘sacred union ceremony' being proposed to a subtle form of Gnosticism that is deceptive because while the liturgy uses traditional theological terms like ‘love' the meaning behind the terms are far from traditional. . It claims that God is in favour of all covenants between those who are sexually attracted to each other. It was noted that the ceremony is not based on biblical sources or a male, female model but on a Gnostic gospel. What is said to provide pastoral help denies the basic concept of the Marriage Service and is a radical Gnostic redefinition of marriage that actually mimics Christian marriage.
Reported by Rev Ted Curnow.
November 2010.
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