Well maybe the answer on a governmental level would be to give any couple wanting to marry (whether it be legit or not since it happens anyway) a minimum of 12mths proof having lived together as a couple and make the age of marriage 25 and over or if for religious reasons they cant then have a Pastoral/church referal as proof. It sounds hardlined even silly suggesting this tho but who knows roll .

So in essence there really isnt a problem in allowing gay couples to marry because of orientation (even tho the govt admits it wants to keep marriage straight) the problem is as you say to do with a doubling of the wrought the system factor between two same sex people, which could most likely be solved by some benchmark test put in place over the board of any marriage. But in thinking some more on this, lets face it, any excuse is being found to stop the same sex marriage from happening because of the fact the church wants to keep it straight, since same sex orientation is belittled and seen as a big sin. shock

Keeping marriage as something you do just for love has never been adhered to completely ever. That will never change, its just a fact of life and theres no point trying to fight something that can not be changed since virtually the beginning of time.

Thats why I said the suggestion to put something monitoring in place would be silly and that it should be “across the board” meaning gay or straight to stop discrimination.quote[which could most likely be solved by some benchmark test put in place over the board of any marriage.] Tho it may possibly be an option, the amount of paperwork you do for centrelink is unbelievable for the most basic thing but its created employment. So the paperwork generated would create more jobs no?(being positive wink )

Sure politics and religion are theoretically kept poles apart but even so depending on who gets into power and what their religious persuassion, will always give a biased outcome when faced with certain issues.

Abortion? a lot of pressure to legalise it and a larger backing from even professionals across the board to do so. but Abortion is also abused, sure the baby may be very grossly disfigured or someones been raped then sure and other legit reasons. Its sad people have to be put in a position to make such a decision and I have a lot of compassion and understanding there.

Divorce? Well as Jesus said moses agreed to give it due to the hardness of the peoples hearts even tho it is stipulated that its wrong, showing that exceptions can be and are made. Also would God agree to a woman being bashed senseless and expect her to stay in that marriage? we all know he wouldnt. The bible does state God given authority to governments and officials same as what moses had with himself as leader and the 70 or so appointed elders to help keep the people at bay. In that leadership role probably with the approval of his “board” they said ok, allow the divorce since ” hubby wont stop hitting wife, wife wont stop nagging or beating husband” they have hardened their hearts and dont want to change.

The church “did” have a hold on the divorce ethic and govt went against that ethic. The church has played a major part in politics in the past and in certain ways still does to this day. Look at the pill for one. shock and how we do actually need it and thank goodness the govt went against that being banned too. (people are going to have sex anyway so why not stop more unwanted pregnancys) Same as we are going to be gay and christian anyway, let us make it legit in every way.

What surprises me is that people will quote Jesus on that topic of Him being completely against divorce and if He said it then its gotta be adhered to, even tho Moses allowed it, yet when Jesus is quoted in favour of anything or quiet on anything, then people go “oh but you have to look at the whole bible and Paul said differently”. Since when is Paul in greater authority to Jesus? Jesus is also God, Paul is not. shock

As always people agree or disagree to things according to their own personal feelings on a subject or their own interpretation and usually at a cost to someone/s else and either out of ignorance or just plain prejudice. And we wonder why Jesus was needed, Grace on top of grace for our naive, blind ignorance as people as a whole. Thank God He loves us and has taught us to be compasionate and merciful to each other. shock wink

Well I do believe the bible is the inspired word of God as a collective of written documents, its the translators that can balls it up. I fully believe Jesus is Gods son and he did everything he said he did, everything that was written about him, that he rose from the dead and he is the way to everlasting life.

The fact that people twist and turn it to how they want also happens, the fact that interpretation gets stuffed up along the way has also been proven and the essence of capturing what a foreign language is trying to say translated to english, especially if an ancient or classic language getting lost a little has also been proven many times over in many many things. But still the things that are without a doubt easily translated and captured/understood and written are a majority compared to the small minority that isnt in the Bible. (this minority still being important)

So getting back to it, Moses himself as we know changed something inspired by God (and whose to say that that which he changed regarding divorce wasnt God inspired since it is within the same God inspired Bible, given by Moses who was a God inspired man) due to a situation that was present. Who’s to say that it cant happen today as we already know it has with abortion and divorce(in our time). (the authority given that, what is bound on earth is bound in heaven, loosed is loosed comes to mind)