"Did your father have sisters?"

No. He has one older brother and in some ways I'm closer to Uncle Brendan than I am to Dad.

How is this relevant? Please show all working.

"Only the union of male and female genome constitutes the full capacity to produce another human in their likeness."

Of course. We are a sexually reproducing species. If somebody can instruct me how attempt to go about human asexual reproduction (and I don't mean just masturbating), I'm keen to try the experiment in my experimental kitchen.

How is this relevant? Please show all working.

"Why do we now have domestic violence and so many single mums?"

We've always had domestic violence: if you don't believe me google the phrase 'rough music'. That was the punishment they used to give wife-beaters (and a damn good punishment at that), but it still didn't stop the problem.

Do you know how to stop domestic violence? Please show all working.

"Of course they were well raised - not likely."

And with that remark you've just crossed the line from crass, thoughtless comments to deliberately vicious comments. You've never spoken with my father or his forefather, but you're happy to condemn their upbringing nonetheless. Well, if the debate has descended to such a low point:

Josephus, your momma's so fat that Einstein would have had to reformulate his general field equations if he'd met her.

The vote to normalise same sex union will give some comfort to homosexual Priests being attracted to young vulnerable boys. They will reason it is now normal to be attracted to the same gender. Of course they are not Christian in their behaviour, in the fact that they are to suppress their sexual behaviour. Though many bisexual parents equally abuse children in the privacy of their own homes.

The Church must abandon the term marriage and use the term "Divine Union" which is sanctioned by God for the procreation of the family. This will allow the secular State to change the meaning of the word merely to mean a social contract. This will define the difference between State and Church weddings.

Yeah Josephus that's a good point, Shorten's bill won't compel pastors,priests or celebrants to perform homosexual ceremonies and as I said in another thread the state recognises all sorts of things we might not agree with so we work around it's rules or at least try not to break them in an overt manner. As with everything the bourgeoisie do this marriage equality bill is subject to the laws of unforseen (by them) consequences, before this there was no reason to discriminate against homosexual couples, if it passes then there will be yet another category of people created. The more you break society up into groups the more avenues there are for the discerning citizen along which to discriminate, homosexual marriage is not supported by the community so celebrants who perform such ceremonies and the businesses which host them may find themselves discriminated against and put out of business, either that or a large number of businesses are going to be competing for a only few hundred same sex weddings per year. If a prospective couple doesn't want their special day tainted by association it will very easy to ring up a celebrant or reception centre and ask "Do you cater for same sex marriage?" if the answer is yes then the caller only need say "OK thank you for your time" hang up and move on to the next on the list. So before the bourgeois posters cry out that most people aren't that petty and small minded I'm here to assure them that yes, most people are that fussy, especially when it comes to weddings.

My wife and myself a couple of years ago managed the Church premises for parties and weddings as it was a Function Centre with commercial kitchen that could cater for 350 seated dining guests. On one occasion we had a request from a Indian couple who wanted to set up a curtained area in the middle of the hall, where their priest would bless their sexual union and declare them husband and wife.

We were at first reluctant to give them permission being of another religion, but we said nothing and as it turned out several weeks before the marriage the couple broke their relationship saving us any embarrassment.

Because of multiculturalism in Australia homosexual State unions will directly conflict with cultural values, not only Christian. Of course atheists will not care and they will bully their opinion on changing the law.

Dear Josephus,

Please explain how homosexual couples will
affect other cultures? After-all homosexuals exist
in every culture. And it is important to recognise that
there is an immense range in marriage, family, and
kinship patterns not only in our own, but in other
cultures as well.
The family patterns of other cultures challenge
many of our assumptions about the nature of marriage,
family, and kinship.

Foxy, no they don't and no there aren't, no society on earth condones homosexual marriage and places it along side heterosexual marriage, it's purely a top down, state sponsored political movement which has appeared in the last 15 years in a handful of countries and which has no cultural or historical context whatsoever. So called gay culture itself is based on the total rejection of marriage and "heteronormative" relationships in favour of homosexual communes and alternative lifestyles, for flip's sake it's the first point in their manifesto.