I'm with Peter Hume - just repeal the marriage act completely. No-one gets married in the future. If you wish to, you can have a religious ceremony (if that floats your boat), but it has no legal impact. Anyone can change their name by deed poll, so we dont need marriage for that anymore. De factos now have the same rights as married partners, so why do we still have marriage. Waste of time for everyone

Suseonline,
Marriage was initiated to raise and protect a family from the union. That was identified in Hebrew and Western culture 5,000 years ago. All your exceptions does not the rule make. They are mal-functions of the normal purpose of the act. In every healthy hetrosexual union there is children, unless natural disfunction, chemical or mechanical interferrence occurs. That of itself does not negate the sexual union.

There are women around that still like the ceremonial impact of marriage instead of shacking up. A marriage certificate gives a legality, for the pending off-spring. Marriage is for life, shacking up will be just that.
I do not believe in gay, or lesbian, it's best kept under wraps.

Mr NO Abbott is told his side to his will, no free vote just vote NO.
This now says it will fail, it in all probability always would.
Why? Christian values!

A Religion born out of and after the Jewish one, followed by the seemingly worlds biggest Islam.
In the company of every religion we ever knew on earth, is standing in the way.
What other reason, why is it of concern to us.
We know those Churches, probably every God ever invented , saw pedophilia and more within its walls.
We not so long ago learned at childhood the very act of sex was the first sin?
how many? of those teaching us that committed sex crimes?
We will see floods of denials that three religions came from the same roots.
We will likely hear only one is the true one.
Some will take me to task but only Islam is growing.
How long will humanity be tied to fables in matters of sex or any thing.
Question, do non Christians, non religious have rights?
Tell me will the world die if same sex are free to do what most do now wed in a registry not a Church.
Have your views but why impose fables on the rest of us.

Belly,
Sex was not the first sin of man as you claim. They were husband and wife so no sexual sin happens in that relationship. Man's first sin was thieft, pride and defiance against the pure character of God.

Belly,
Abbott is standing by his parties committment made prior to the last election to maintain the status quo. It is Labor that is changing their tune and cowtailing to the Greens.

First the lie about the carbon tax and now another lie about homosexual marriage. This mob make blunder after blunder. This time it is not Gillard alone with the lie.

One wonders what will take place with the pokies issue. Interesting