Society

Australian Muslims, Jews and Christians unite on traditional values

Prime Minister Gillard’s reassurance to church leaders that she supports traditional values and freedom of religion will be welcome news not only to Australian Christians, but also to Australians of other faiths, according to John Miller from the Australian Christian Values Institute.

“During the last sitting of federal parliament Moslems, Jews and Christians united in writing to all members and senators, opposing the Greens bill to change the definition of marriage to include same-sex marriage. They were powerful messages.” In its covering letter, the Australian Christian Values Institute (ACVI) attached letters of support from Imam Riad M Galil OAM of the West Heidelberg Mosque, and Rabbi Shimon Cowen of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization (the letters can be viewed at www.christianvalues.org.au).

“This is the first time we have joined with other faiths in a campaign on moral issues, which are integral to economics and sound public policy. It bodes well for future public debates,” John Miller said.

In his letter, Imam Galil writes, “evidence proves what common-sense dictates: marriage cannot be redefined without being weakened”. He said it was, “the only institution that can reverse the decay of the nuclear family and reverse the negative social trends that are associated with it.”

Rabbi Cowen writes, “In a time of much despair, moral emptiness and nihilism, we must affirm the most basic unit of society, the family based on the marriage of man and woman, as an absolute value in itself.”

In its letter the Australian Christian Values Institute writes that it, “heartily endorses the views of our Muslim and Jewish friends who are in agreement with us that marriage is a personal relationship with great public significance. The state recognizes this relationship as a public institution in its laws, because the relationship makes a unique and essential contribution to the common good.”

However one believes marriage originated, it remains tried and tested, a gift to be cherished and protected by the governing authorities. “We as representatives of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian people of Australia ask you to continue to protect marriage for what it is and continue to reject what it is not.”

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