#1140 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 18 October 2015
Earlier this year, more than 10,000 Tasmanian families received a booklet, Don’t Mess With Marriage, published by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, explaining the church’s opposition to same sex marriage.
Transgender rights activist Martine Delaney has lodged a complaint with the Anti-Discrimination Commission, alleging the booklet was in breach of the Anti-Discrimination Act. Catholic Archbishop Julian Porteous must now respond to the allegations.
Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Lyle Shelton said Ms Delaney’s action was “particularly chilling considering all [the Archbishop] did was distribute Catholic teaching on marriage to parents of children enrolled in Catholic schools.”
He said, “A view cannot be bigoted if it is based on defensible reasoning … and those who hold such a view should not be punished by the law.”
It is to be hoped that Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks will reject the complaint and send a clear message to all Australians in defence of freedom of religion.
I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.
NSW Council of Churches 
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