Proposed Same Sex Union Legislation Condemned by South African Churches

A recent ruling by South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal has outraged the Anglican Church. In late November, a court decision suggested that the common-law definition of marriage should be changed from a "union between a man and a woman" to a "union between two persons", and the Church said that it was totally contrary to Christian teachings.

While the ruling was celebrated by some Equal Rights campaigners who want to push for further government steps towards legislating same sex unions, the Archbishop of Cape Town sternly criticised the court for paving the way for gay marriages in South Africa.

Responding to the proposed amendment to the law which will define marriage as a "union between two persons", the Most Rev Njongonkulu Ndungane clarified the biblical teaching, "As far as we are concerned as a church, our understanding of marriage is between a man and a woman. And as a church, and the Anglican Church in particular, we have said no to same-sex unions."

Archbishop Ndungane also stated that the Anglican Church would never compromise to the law and the Church teachings would not be affected by the Court decision.

"The Christian teaching is that marriage is between a man and a woman. And therefore that is where the Church is," he said.

As people become more open to homosexuality and same-sex union around the globe these years, equal rights supporters are campaigning for legislation for gay marriage. Yesterday, New Zealand's Parliament passed the Civil Union Bill by a vote 65-55 after months of national debate.

In face of this sliding slope, African Churches have been the most outspoken ones to oppose the false practice. Compared to other countries, Africa is seen to be more conservative towards the homosexual issues.

The recently released results of the 2003 South African Social Attitudes Survey revealed that 78 percent of respondents believed it is "always wrong for two adults of the same sex to have sexual relations" and only five percent of South Africans said they saw nothing wrong with two adults having same-sex relations.