The Alþingi General Committee has received over 30 statements from organisations, religious groups, institutions and individuals concerning the Minister of Justice’s bill for a universal marriage law. It is apparent that public opinion has changed. The bill proposes removing any reference to gender that exists in the current law.

Many welcome the bill, including The Icelandic Confederation of Labor (ASÍ), The Association of Parents and Relatives of Gays and Lesbians (FAS), The Free Church of Reykjavík, Q – Society of Queer Students, The Ombudsman for Children, and The Iceland Human Rights Centre. However, the majority of religious groups remain strongly opposed to the bill.

The Icelandic Church of Christ is of the opinion that it is right and and incumbent that a marriage law should include the words man and woman, as well as the word couple (about a man and woman), as current law has stated for a long time.

A statement from the Church then goes on to say that the bill goes against Christian doctrine. The Icelandic Church of Christ considers the law both injudicious and unrighteous “both against us and thousands of other Icelanders who have a similar outlook to us. We are unmistakably looking at discrimination [against us], which we protest against.”

In a statement from The Catholic Church of Iceland, the Church declares that they cannot agree to the proposed changes. “No human authority has permission to change the natural laws set down directly by the Creator. In this instance, The Catholic Church of Iceland intends to stay true to the law of God, as is our obligation, preach health and natural teachings on the place of humans and stick to the precedent set by Christ, as we have always done.”

In the opinion of the Gospel Church of Iceland there is no need for a new marriage law. “The one which we already have fits in perfectly with the understanding of Christians in the sense that marriage and matrimony are a foundation between men and women”, it said in its statement.

The Society of Icelandic Priests (PÍ) considers the core of the bill, that one law validates the institution of marriage for all those wishing to enter into holy matrimony, an important rights amendment.

It seems that the consensus of public opinion remains in favour of the bill, whilst Christian groups remain in strong opposition to any change in marriage law.

Source: mbl.is
Image: fallwithme

Labels: Church, Human rights