Australia has used that definition well, since there has been marriage in Australia! Sadly, more and more marriages in the country today do not include God, are not mutually exclusive and are not for life. In many ways, marriage in this country means a couple stays together as long as they are ‘in love’ or as long as both ‘happy’ in the relationship. Does this mean we should no longer have that gold standard for marriage? Probably not (that is, we should have a standard), but does this mean that we should change the definition of marriage to better reflect how society perceives it today?

And what about the children? If we are honest, there are probably many LGBTIQ parents who do a better job in loving their children than many parents in hetero relationship. Nevertheless, as followers of Jesus, we would still maintain that what the Bible teaches on marriage continues to be relevant.

We still believe that it is best for individuals, couples and society to keep that gold standard. Why? Ultimately, it comes down to what we believe about what the Bible says is honouring to God and if asked, we should not be ashamed to declare this is what we think is best for society.

But should we force those who don’t believe in God or the teachings of the Bible to follow the Christian definition of marriage? Probably not. Part of what it means to live in a free society is allowing people the freedom to make choices, whether that is good for them (and the rest of us) or not.

All brickbats, bouquets and banter welcome at info@narrominebaptist.org.au