...The author is either deliberately “snowing” the issue of gay marriage by emotional appeal alone, or simply naïve and takes the choice to ignore genuine concerns of the status-quo. Either way, the article fails the test of logic.

Diver Dan my boy, note that the author has a PhD in English and a diploma in Theology.
Thus giving her essay intellectual credibility

Kipp

'Diver Dan my boy, note that the author has a PhD in English and a diploma in Theology.'

Then she should be smart enough to know it is plainly wrong to deny kids a mother or father. She should also be smart enough to realise that she can love the sinner and hate the sin instead of using manipulative hogwash. Love is certainly not condonimg a sinful lifestyle. LOve actually speaks the truth which thankfully for a change the Anglicans have done on this occasion.

Jesus' most abiding message was tolerance.

Us mortals, including purported conduits of Jesus' message, are not qualified to contradict that message in the name of mortal intolerance.

Remember the example of tolerance set by such purported conduits of God as Henry VIII, and too many Popes (men only can apply BTW) who have ruled like absolute Monarchs.

I'm not sure why Christians care so much. They don't recognise ANY marriage performed outside of the church anyway, regardless of who it is getting married

@David

I think the old establishment Churches and most other religions have a tendency to impose their religious views on others and judge people on the basis of what are frequently sectarian, competing, reactionary and therefore narrow views.

They don't appear to understand that the secular majority are already following the ways of a Christianity based tradition of tolerance. Most churches are basically political beliefs in competition with other political beliefs, be they Christian, non-Christian, Marxist or secular majority etc.

The saddest thing is that Gillard has made a shrewd political calculation that Parliament will adhere to her surprisingly narrow views on marriage - from a person not married and with no kids. But, then again, perhaps she sees a political vulnerability in her personal circumstances.

And of course Gillard's homeground, the Union movement and Labor, are two other reactionary political institutions - with traditions of intolerance, for example, against those racially different - especially if they are potentially competing workers from overseas.

Gillard is banking on this trade union-Labor intolerance against gays. Grasping for at least one political win before our carbon tax winter of expensive discontent - but thats another failing.