In what has been described as an "extraordinary moment on TV" and "the answer of the century" in the media, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's strong response to an audience member – identified in the media as New Hope Church pastor Matt Prater – who challenged Rudd on his support of same-sex marriage, went viral overnight.
New Hope Church pastor Matt Prater (left) and
Australian PM Kevin Rudd on the ABC's Q & A show
Prater asked on the ABC's Q & A show which was televised on Monday night: "If you call yourself a Christian why don't you believe the words of Jesus in the Bible?" He also quoted from the Bible a definition of marriage as a man leaving his father and mother to be united to his wife.
The PM and Labor Party leader responded by suggesting that line of thinking would also make slavery an acceptable proposition. "Well mate, if I was going to have that view, the Bible also says that slavery is a natural condition," Rudd replied, to extended cheers and applause.
"St Paul said in the New Testament, 'Slaves be obedient to your masters'. "Therefore we should have all fought for the Confederacy in the US civil war? I mean for goodness sake, the human condition and social conditions change."
"What is the fundamental principle of the New Testament? It is one of universal love. Loving your fellow man.
"If we get obsessed of the definition of that through a form of sexuality, then I think we are missing the centrality of what the gospel – whether you call it a personal gospel, a social gospel or a spiritual gospel – is all about."
He said his decision to back gay marriage was made after "years of reflection in good Christian conscience".
"I do not believe people when they are born choose their sexuality. They are gay if they are born gay," he said.
"You don't decide at some later stage in life to be one thing or the other. It is how people are built. Therefore, the idea this is somehow an abnormal condition is just wrong. I don't get that. I think it is a completely ill-founded view."
Rudd said in May that he had reconsidered his opposition to same-sex marriage, and published an essay to explain his views. He had also promised to hold a Parliamentary vote on allowing gay couples to marry within 100 days if his center-left Labor Party wins the election.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says marriage is between a man and a woman and it would be up to his Liberal party to decide whether, unlike the last vote on the issue, Liberal MPs would allowed a conscience vote on the issue.
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Reader's Comments
Take that Pastor!
Thank you, Mr. Rudd.
Being raised a Christian, and being gay... I have struggled with the many complex viewpoints in the Bible which seem to contradict each other in the various chapters of the book... And some people find it easier than others to follow without questioning the things written therein.
Triggers have been pulled... bombs have fallen with the thought that God is on "Our" side, based on the beliefs taken from one chapter or another...
After reading the Bible at least five times from cover to cover to determine just what I was proclaiming to believe, I was forced to come to the conclusion that although there are some wonderful "moral" messages in the Bible, it really seems to be a means for controlling people as a whole... and so I am now I am a believer in the "Universe", "Source Energy" not a concept created by man which is called "God."
I hope more people can begin to thoughtfully question what they profess to believe in, and think for themselves, not blindly swallow what they hear in church...
Good going Kevin!
Have those people ever learned any lesson there and really understand the spiritual side of the religion rather than just the old rules. If sticking to the rules of Bible without understanding the spiritual goal, i.e. universal love, here is the list of items / rules that you can found in 'Bible'.
1. Brother is mandated to take over and marry his older brother's wife if the older brother pass away. Otherwise, he would be prosecuted.
2. A field should only sow one kind of seed, cannot have crop rotation.
3. Our clothes can only have one kind of material. We cannot mix different material to make a cloth.
This strange or out-of-date rules goes on and on.
Those rules are just like the law at the time (hundred years or even thousand year ago) for people to follow, but not universal truth.
People progress and society evolved based on various factors and expansion of our knowledge that understand the universe and human ourselves.
Bravo to the Australian PM Kevin Rudd :D
Mike/Brisbane/Australia.
Secondly - democratic government is for the people, and for many many years now more than 50% of the Australian public has been in favour of marriage equality, so it stands to reason that politicians should be listening to the public and accepting that opinions have changed and write marriage equality into law.
Thirdly - He demonstrates more leadership on this issue than anyone in parliament - he states his position strongly, with logic and passion.
This is not someone pandering for votes by changing his mind on this issue, this is someone who has given it thought, analysis and has changed his mind based on what he believes is right and proper to build a society based on equity and equality for all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD52OlkKfNs
I look forward to the day when my PM puts up such defence of the gay minority and does the humane thing to abolish section 377A.
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