Over the past few days, hundreds of Sydney parents were delivered a letter from their children’s Catholic school. A letter that encourages them to ‘vote No’ in the current marriage equality postal survey, and to reflect upon the “likely significant consequences of redefining marriage”.
The statement, authored by Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher and co-signed by Dr Dan White, the Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, was aimed at parents and carers and distributed to all 152 schools in the Diocese’s jurisdiction.
In addressing the “significant consequences” of marriage equality, the letter spouts vague threats about how the way we traditionally understand “husband, wife and children” will be “undermined”, about how “freedom of speech, religion and association” will be compromised, about how ideas of “family, human sexuality and personal identity” will be forced on teachers and families, about how faith-based schools “have the most to lose”.
It concludes, “This vote and any subsequent law will affect us all. We will be voting NO and encourage you to do the same. God give us all compassion, wisdom and courage.”
The letter
A couple from Sydney’s inner-west who received the letter said they have been left frustrated by their school’s attempt to influence a private decision.
“I understand that there are those who will have the same beliefs that the school does on this, but they still have no place to push that onto other families,” the mother (who asked to remain unnamed) told Mamamia.
“This [debate] has nothing to do with religion,” the father added. “That’s the most annoying thing about this. They’re sitting there trying to push their propaganda on us, saying ‘You ought to do what we want you to.’ Well, no, we don’t. This is a civil issue, it’s got nothing to do with the church.”
Top Comments
"Speaking the truth in love" Who's truth??? Gahhhh I can't even begin to respectfully address any of the outright inconsistencies in either of the pictured publications or the need for any school to decide or attempt to coerce it's entire community, staff & student body on what construes an appropriate & honest opinion or on what should be addressed in a school notice with out feeling an overwhelming fear or being able to put my response across succinctly so at this point I won't. Perhaps my words will come out correctly later. Perhaps not, in this case I feel they won't really make a difference. I will however continue to lovingly & respectfully engage in conversations on this issue one on one as I have been doing. My most enjoyable ones lately have been with my SS attracted uncle who for his own totally valid reasons had intended voting no but is now considering otherwise #stillvotingyes
Why is 'yes' literature 'material' while 'no' literature is 'propaganda'?
I was wondering the exact same thing.