Jesus Christ taught about marriage.

He said, “From the beginning of creation, God created male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh . . . .” (Saint Mark’s gospel, chapter 10, verse 7)

Christ’s church has always taught that the primary purpose of marriage is the generation and bringing-up of children.

Marriage, therefore, by definition, excludes homosexual and other unnatural behaviour.

* * *

For Catholics, the Church has always defined, as per the old Code of Canon Law, that “the primary end of marriage is the procreation and education of children”.

Having children, where it is possible, is essential to the nature of marriage itself — a participation in the creative work of God.

Marriage is a Sacrament of the Church. God is a participant in the marriage.

And as Jesus taught, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Saint Mark’s gospel, chapter 10, verse 9)

* * *

In practice, it is found that the safest place for a child — least likely to suffer child abuse — is to be raised is in a family situation with his/her biological mother and father, married and living together.

The Australian Labor Party now officially supports legalisation of “same-sex marriage”.

Activist, Alex Greenaway, calls it “a clear message . . . that it’s time to provide equality for all Australians”.

Which is manifest nonsense.

All Australians are not equal.

Those who break the law are put in prison. That is not treating them as equals.

The question that homosexual activists don’t want to face is whether homosexual acts are harmful enough to warrant the law prohibiting them.

* * *

Homosexually-active persons are not normal.

They know they are not normal.

They know it won’t be easy to suppress their abnormal activities.

For this very reason, the law should encourage, pressure, and persuade them to give them up.

Even more important for young persons who are teetering on the brink of declaring themselves homosexuals . . . .

To give them some incentive to think again . . . .

There are other reasons to oppose legalised homosexual acts — based on disease prevention, child protection etc.

But those mentioned above are basic.

* * *

If we have equal regard for persons afflicted with homosexual tendencies, then we must do all we can to help them.

They aren’t being helped by telling them, yes, your unnatural acts are all you are good for – we’ll leave you to damage yourselves because we don’t care about you . . . .

If we have a real regard for them, we’ll tell them, yes, it is unfortunate that you are this way — but we’ll do everything possible to help you live a normal lifestyle.

Jeff Kennett, head of Beyondblue, a charity devoted to fighting the epidemic of depressive illness in Australia, has made a tactical error.

He said something without prior approval from the media and the feminist/homosexual lobby.

He said that, “Clearly the best environment in which to bring a child into the world is a stable, loving environment in which a male and female are married to each other.”

A welcome bit of common sense.

* * *

Now, of course, he is being told to resign — blackmailed by past donors threatening to pull out unless he knuckles under.

His CEO has resigned without explanation.

Anyway, Mr Kennett has said he will neither apologise nor step down.

So far . . . .

* * *

There is a condition called “coprophagia”, which affects some unfortunate children. They eat their poo.

Few continue doing so into adult life. But coprophagia is said to be observed in small numbers of patients with schizophrenia, depression and autism.

It is normally treated using strategies aimed at reversing the underlying condition.

What is NOT done is tell them they’re doing the right thing — and to organise poo-eating Mardi Gras-type celebrations.

Some things are not just “diversity”, they are wrong, unhealthy and abnormal.

Mr Kennett didn’t say all that about homosexual practices, but his enemies may fear that one day he will.

Federal Member for Mildura, John Forrest, has told the media he will vote against homosexual “marriage” because his electorate is “very conservative” and “not ready for it”.

If the local paper’s poll (accessible only to people with the internet) manages to come up with a majority in favour of it, what will he say then?

He will have to say that he is going to vote against it because it is wrong and unnatural.

Which is what he should have said in the first place.

* * *

Very little clear thinking seems to go on about homosexuality.

It may help to compare it with alcohol abuse.

Both are traits that can cause powerful desires.

Both are bad for both individual health and for the health of the community.

Both can be resisted by means of will power plus support from friends, family or professional helpers.

Just as we have programs for rehabilitation of drunks, we might consider setting up rehab programs for those given to unhealthy sexual practices.

* * *

The two disorders are not exactly parallel, of course.

Homosexual practice is obviously worse from a moral point of view.

You can get drunk on your own.

To practice homosexuality, one must groom/seduce/recruit somebody to do it with.

This other person is harmed in a way that may well prove irreversible.

Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard had a meeting with Dr Kerryn Phelps, medical writer for Womens Weekly magazine.

Dr Phelps was seeking to convince the PM and her party to support “same-sex marriage” – an issue to be discussed at the ALP national conference in December.

The PM says she is against “same-sex marriage” — and that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

The meeting was private and its outcome is unknown.

* * *

A petition to keep the current definition of marriage, as between one man and one woman, signed by  over 50,000 people, has been presented to the Senate.

It’s the largest petition tabled in the Senate in the lifetime of this, the 43rd parliament.

And last week, a rally was held at Parliament House, Canberra, attended by 1000 people, in support of traditional marriage.

One of the speakers was Bob Katter, Independent MP.

* * *

In his enthusiasm, Mr Katter said about same-sex marriage, “Truly this proposal deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed.”

He is on the right side of the debate, but that is not the way to talk.

Same-sex marriage is a serious matter.

The people wanting to participate in such “marriages” do not deserve ridicule.

They are not well.

They deserve sympathy.

They deserve encouragement to try to alter their lifestyle and — if possible — their orientation.

Ridiculing them will simply encourage them to portray themselves as normal people who are being made victims.

Woolworths are at it again.

Not only are they Australia’s leading provider of gambling-addictive poker machines.

Not only must they flog cigarettes at the very front of every store.

Now on a day that could be a time of family enjoyment, they must use it to exploit another form of addiction.

Yes, for Father’s Day, their slogan is, “Give Dad what he really wants this Father’s Day”

Their “Dan Murphy” ads feature alcoholic bargains as though, without alcohol, no Australian dad is capable of enjoying himself.

* * *

Tragically there are families which have had to live without a functional Dad because of what alcohol has done to the father.

But it just isn’t true that what most Dads want most is alcohol.

Most would just like their children to remember them on this special day and spend some time with them.

It is disgraceful to misrepresent fathers as a group as being, first and foremost, boozers.

* * *

The community needs to take on the alcohol-sellers and give them a hard time.

* ban all alcohol advertising on billboards, television and at sporting events

* raise legal drinking age to at least 21

* drop legal driver blood alcohol to 0.02 percent

* further increase taxes on alcoholic beverages and set minimum prices for alcoholic drinks.

Why not?