With the SCOTUS about to render a decision on nationwide marriage equality here in the USA by the end of June, many anti-gay groups and other folks have been threatening to engage in some sort of civil disobedience. And, I've been puzzled by what that means. Are they going to stand in courthouse doors blocking same-sex couples from entering or what? Or, maybe they'll just hold protest signs outside to taunt same-sex couples like WBC.
Well, an anti-gay straight couple in Australia has come up with an interesting (if ridiculous) way to protest marriage equality in that country. They will divorce if marriage equality in enacted into law there.
From The Advocate:
While many might say divorce is quickest way to destroy the fabric of marriage, an Australian couple see a bigger threat: gay couples.
In fact, Nick and Sarah Jensen are so concerned about their country's increasing embrace of same-sex marriage, that this week husband Nick declared a bizarre protest on the cover of lifestyle weekly Canberra CityNews: if marriage equality passes in Australia, the Christian couple say they will be "forced" to divorce but will still refer to each other as "husband" and "wife," cohabitate, have children, and raise their family together.
Though happily married to "the only woman he's ever loved" for the past ten years, Jensen declared in his OpEd that he's determined that ending their legal marriage may just be the only option if the "government's regulation of marriage ... includes the solemnisation of same sex couples."
"Why do this?" Jensen rhetorically asked the question many readers are likely wondering. "The reason is that, as Christians, we believe marriage is not a human invention," he answered in the OpEd, later adding that "This is what we have to do as Christians who believe in a Biblical definition of marriage, that we can't see that definition change in a way that no longer reflects God's truth."
You can read another related article at
news.com.au.
Jensen says that he and other persons of faith like him will still be married in their churches, mosques or temples. They will simply reject the state sponsored marriage licensing.
Jensen seems to lump all Christians into the same category or belief system. All Christian do not believe that marriage was created by G-d. Many progressive Christians believe that it is a human construct (it is). Married couples simply go to their churches to have their relationships blessed. At any rate, this is a novel way to protest marriage equality.
Support for marriage equality in Australia has been polling at around seventy percent, and a marriage equality bill is now before their Parliament. Many supporters hope and expect that bill to pass in August of this year.