A Bill permitting pairs of homosexuals to adopt children was passed in the New South Wales lower house of parliament yesterday.

Premier Kristina Keneally said she “consulted her conscience” — then voted for homosexual adoption.

She said, “It’s something that I, not just as a Christian and a Catholic, but as the leader of this state, want to be able to support.”

How about that?

Such churchy-sounding attempts at fence-straddling only earn contempt from both sides of the debate.

* * *

Two of NSW’s three accredited adoption agencies — Anglicare and CatholicCare — threaten to stop providing adoption services if forced to process adoptions by homosexual couples.

The other, UnitingCare, supported the bill, saying it would benefit children etc.

*  Anglicare spokesman, Peter Kell, also trying to please everybody, said, “Anglicare is not seeking to perpetuate and condone discrimination against gay people . . . .”

As one supporting common sense on this issue, it’s a pity he spoils his credibility by apologising for being right.

* The so-called Uniting Church has, of course, got this one all wrong, as is their habit.

The fact that they call themselves a Christian group is confusing, and they should give it up.

* Worst of all is pretend-Catholics who, like Mrs Keneally, “search their consciences” and then decide that they know better than the Church and better than God.

* * *

The Bible consistently says that homosexual relations are wrong.

One famous text in the Book of Leviticus: “You shall not have intercourse with a man as you would with a woman. That is an abomination.” (“Abomination” as in “outrage” or “disgrace”)

The Old Testament also says that people doing such things should be stoned to death – indicating how seriously the Jewish religion regarded such sins.

The New Testament records Jesus stopping some Jews stoning an adulterous woman, thus endorsing more merciful attitudes.

But to the woman he said, “Go, and sin no more.”

He was very strict about sin, but compassionate to sinners who repented.

* * *

Anyway . . . children must be taught that all sex outside of normal marriage is unacceptable.

Living in a household whose adults, by word and example, flout Christian standards . . . .

That is something children must be protected from at all costs.