Government Sounds Death Knell For Traditional Marriage In SA!

Written by: Errol Naidoo
Article source: familypolicyinstitute.com

We and many believers across the country are praying and trusting God we will overcome this pandemic this year. We also trust God to intervene in South Africa to bring healing, reconciliation, restoration of marriages and families, the rooting out of corruption, justice for the poor and economic revival to boost employment.

Family Policy Institute (FPI) boldly continues its defense of the natural family and the promotion of Biblical values in Parliament, the media and general society. I realise the recent events in the US means our battle for righteousness and truth will be made extremely difficult. The fight for the sanctity of life, the integrity of marriage and the family and human sexuality will be met with ferocious opposition.

However, truth always prevails. That’s why the battle for truth is not only necessary, but noble. To this end, FPI will step up its efforts to promote the “Smart Choices” values-based sexuality education curriculum as a safe and credible alternative to the dangerous foreign devised “Comprehensive Sexuality Education” (CSE) program.

We released our second information video this week urging parents and educators to request the “Smart Choices” curriculum for their child/children’s school. The delay of the opening of schools (15 Feb) provides parents additional time to contact School Governing Bodies.

I received the Discussion Paper on the proposed “Single Marriage Statute” (You can download it here) from the “South African Law Reform Commission” (SALRC). It requests FPI comment on two legislative options to recognize and regulate “protected relationships, marriages and life partnerships”. The first option entitled, “Protected Relationships Bill” and the second, “Recognition and Registration of Marriages and Life Partnerships Bill” seeks to provide for registration, formal recognition and legal protections of those entering into these partnerships regardless of the religion, culture or beliefs of the parties.

Government claims the objectives of the proposed legislation are to rationalise the marriage laws pertaining to “all types of relationships”. The proposed “Single Marriage Statute” also aims to prevent child marriage, eliminate sham marriages and regulate Muslim marriage.

Significantly, however, my two-decades long involvement with Marriage Law Reform in South Africa including the debates surrounding the legal recognition of same-sex relationships, convinces me the primary goal of the “Single Marriage Statute” is to provide same-sex, transgender and “all other forms of marriage” full and equal status in all respects with monogamous heterosexual marriage or the Biblical definition of marriage.

The SALRC proposes in both options that “monogamous protected relationships, marriages or life partnerships, means the relationship of two people regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity to the exclusion of all others.” This is the main objective of sexual rights activists, to equate same-sex and other relationships – in all respects – with traditional marriage. During the debates on same-sex “marriage” in 2005, sexual rights activists vehemently opposed separate legislation to regulate their relationships. They demanded the ‘Marriage Act of 1961’ be amended to include both heterosexual and same-sex couples because as they argued, “marriage is marriage!”

They further argued, the formulation of the ‘Civil Union Bill’ as a separate Act to formally recognise and regulate same-sex relationships was discriminatory because it implied same-sex “marriage” was inferior to monogamous heterosexual marriage much like having separate entrances to the same facility for blacks and whites. Thankfully, the valid concerns of religious leaders prevailed and the Marriage Act was left intact – until now.

As result of consistent pressure from United Nations (UN) agencies and local sexual rights groups, the South African government has finally capitulated and acted to redefine marriage – an institution that faithfully served every culture over thousands of years of human history.

This is the most socially destructive policy the ANC government has ever proposed because it takes a sledgehammer to a cornerstone institution of society. Traditional marriage is a public good for all people, in all cultures and in every civilisation. Redefining it to appease the unreasonable demands of a small group of sexual rights radicals is social suicide.

The proposed “Single Marriage Statute” presents a serious dilemma for the Christian Church and religious marriage officers. The three separate Marriage Acts currently on our books preclude religious marriage officers from solemnising unions that violate their conscience or convictions. However, the proposed “Single Marriage Statute” provides no such leeway – it recognises all forms of relationships as equally valid in all respects with traditional marriage.

The wording of the legislation also leaves the door open for the legal recognition and protection of Polyamory (group marriage) and potentially inter-generational marriage (adult-child marriage). The ultimate goal here is to dissolve traditional marriage into a smorgasbord of humanistic options – to cater for the increasingly bizarre sexual whims of fallen mankind – which ultimately will destroy this God-given institution and the society it holds together.

If traditional marriage is redefined to appease sexual rights radicals, society’s very foundations will be profoundly altered with devastating results. Marriage – and the family it establishes, is the bedrock foundation upon which society is built. As a result, governments are compelled to recognize, protect and support marriage and not bow to special-interest pressure groups to undermine societies most ancient and enduring institutions.

If the “Single Marriage Statute” is enacted as proposed, a decade from now nobody would know what marriage is. This policy provides an over-arching law under which various counterfeit marriage formulas can be formerly recognised, regulated and protected “regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity”. Thus, if marriage is anything you want it to be – then marriage is nothing. Objective achieved.

I am drafting my submission on the two options proposed by the SALRC with the help of my son, Advocate Jared Naidoo. I urge every Christian Church, institution, group and individual to make your voices heard on this extremely critical proposed legislation. Please address submissions to Mr. Pierre Van Wyk at pvanwyk@justice.gov.za  The deadline is 31 March 2021.

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Date published: 19/01/2021
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. www.pxfuel.com

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