"Red Herrings", the standard truth- blocker user by the Left. An SSM OK will lead to much more than a change to the Marriage Act: it will lead to the end of freedom of speech and religion in Australia, as has happened in other countries where this abomination has passed into law.

Why do you think that SSM advocates like Brandis and his cronies are not revealing the legislation that they will put before parliament?

Gaynor and the people he mentions who have already suffered for their NO opinions have been treated vilely, and it's only the beginning.

Alan B

With all due respects, (from the premise that nobody is ever “all-wrong"), you really need to begin the process of recognising the structural origins of your irrational thinking.

Yeah it's really sad to witness the fall of the christian church in OZ first hand. I guess there has been a bit of a 'culture of naivety' in the church for a while now and this is the result, maybe that needs to change going forward, but who knows.

Progressive Pat.

Hello Pat.

I think you premise your conclusions on the misconception, the Christian Church must be in competition with the world. Your forgiven for that.

The apparent demise is due to the unlocking of the Church from the State.
That is not a bad thing: Just history moving forward.

It's main rival is against the forces of evil. It's main aim is to save lost souls from the influence of evil. It does this by offering a belief system which subordinates the self to a greater power for good, and “missionises” the convert for recruiting purposes.

The objective of the Church is one of shifting the subjective lost souls, out of the path of evil through a belief system, emphasising the importance of the next life over all circumstances of the present.

The modern misconception, the church should be seen as a winner in world terms, is based on its historic role as a partner with the State.
That was never its fundamental purpose or role! Stop worrying!

On the topic of evil DD, there can hardly be anything more evil than persecuting a minority for being born different!

There's nothing wrong with making the odd mistake. After all, that's is how humankind has learned since the dawn of time.

But everything wrong with compounding that error with quite deliberate repetition and ignored evidence that confounds the confirmation bias.

Had your Christian master walked among us today, with his gentle kind nature and almost endless patience. And as an unmarried man, when all his contemporaries already married, along with a preference for male company.

Many would have labeled him homosexual, but forgiven him for being born that way, by virtue of the celibate life of a holy man?

Even so, nailed to a cross, allegedly for daring to conceive of a better fairer life inside a more tolerant society!

Suffer little children-he who is without sin cast the first stone-do unto others as you would be done unto, etc/etc.

None of the folk you seem to be attacking, just because, although born different, have finally decided, and as evocated by your alleged master? They want actual equality before the law!

Does nothing to you or yours, removes not a single scaric of a grain of your rights and privileges!

Just stops/prevents folks and resident gay bashers, with completely false and inherently evil, confounded by peer reviewed validated medical science, stone age belief systems! From withholding something you and I, and indeed every, "born right" human would consider a birthright, and just as civil marriage outside church?

Nobody would ever CHOOSE to be gay or homosexual, given what they are forced to suffer throughout an entire life!

Your master allegedly said with his dying breath, forgive them father, for they know not what they do!

Ever consider his remarks could have been aimed directly at you and your, persecuting minorities cohort, across the centuries?

Something to think about as you accept this little pearl of wisdom. There isn't enough darkness in the entire world, to extinguish the light of a single candle!
Alan B.

Beware, thinking that this is all about homosexual people being able
to be married.
That is what they are arguing about, not what it is really about.
It is, as can be seen if you look closely, about the curtailment of civil rights.
It has become clear in Canada that it has slopped over into other fields.
It will surface as Hate Speech law being applied to homosexuals, and
then onto anyone criticising a particular religion but not another.
Look at Canada's Islamaphobia Hate Speech legislation and also the
laws on what you can tell your children.
Oh yes do not contradict what your kids are told at school, it might
be considered child abuse and your children removed.
Search around you can find examples all over the place.
You can be imprisoned in Canada and the UK for saying things that here
are now considered fair comment.

Bernard Gaynor's troubles are not far removed from that now except
it will make federally 18c look like a parking fine.

I do not think that the originators of the campaign had all this in
mind but the lefty activists have noted what has happened overseas
and can see how to impose their mad trendy politics on us all.