Petra
09-22-2004, 02:02 PM
I watched a debate tonight on TVNZ. Wish I could've video'd it for y'all. It was great: calm, reasoned, and well-facilitated.
Here's the blurb from TV One's programme schedule (http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvone_story_skin/446555%3fformat=html):
What is a New Zealand family?
The Civil Union Bill has made the definition of "family" a hotly debated topic. In State of the New Zealand Family, hosted by Susan Wood, gay couples, politicians, experts, single parents and conservatives debate what constitutes a family unit in our ever-changing society.
Under most New Zealand legislation, the state's presumption is that a "family" follows the traditional nuclear model - mum, dad and kids. However, increasing numbers of New Zealand families are set up differently and legislation, such as the Civil Union Bill, seeks to reflect these changes.
This doesn't sit well with traditional values groups. The head pastor of the Destiny Church, Brian Tamaki, decries the Civil Union Bill, which will allow same-sex and de-facto couples to legally register their union (but stops short of actually calling it marriage).
Tamaki believes family based on marriage is the cornerstone of the nation and the Civil Union Bill is placing it under threat; but many New Zealanders, especially gay and lesbian couples in committed relationships, welcome a wider definition of "family".
"What we hope to do is bring advocates of all those differing views face to face, live in the same TV studio," says producer Richard Harman.
"In doing that we expect we'll see the same tension between the participants we saw with the recent immigration debate we produced. But if that debate is anything to go by we also expect to find an audience who really want to see the crunch issues facing New Zealand debated intelligently and with insight into the way we live today."
The issue was debated intelligently and respectfully, and prompted me to write a letter to the editor of The Listener (www.listener.co.nz).
Here's my letter:
It was wonderful to watch the debate on TV One's "The State of the New Zealand Family". The fact that we are able to conduct civil discourse, in a public arena on such contentious issues, is something that we New Zealanders should be very proud of. In a world that appears to have gone mad with rightwing religious-political extremism and Machiavellian sloganeering I am grateful that we can, and do, do this. Thank you, TV One.
I would’ve liked to have voted “yes” in the poll that TV One hosted, as I do believe that the gay family is a real family, just like any other; and that the proposed civil union bill is an enlightened one that promotes love, commitment, and fairness. Unfortunately, I waited too long to make the call and could not vote. The final tally disappointed me, but the statements made by many of the debate contributors gave me some hope for this country. The closing transcribed statement, of a long-serving family court judge, summed up my sentiments on the matter beautifully.
Bigotry and intolerance seem to be very much in vogue in the world right now, and it tends to hide behind, or piggyback upon, carefully selected bible scripture with twisted interpretations, and espoused as an absolute. Kind of like the religious right’s obsession with the 10 Commandments, while ignoring the Sermon on the Mount. It is disingenuous at best, and dangerous at it’s worst.
I’m an atheist, “liberal” and humanist, but was heartened to hear the Anglican Minister’s point of view. As I understand it, Christ was supposed to be about love, and I thought this Minister was a fine representative of his Christ. I felt quite differently about the Destiny Church’s representative, and about Peter Dunn.
The representative of Destiny Church revealed his true colours, when shortly after saying that his Church did not hate gays, went on to use a word like “detest”; undeniably a synonym for hate.
I also took issue with the “definition of marriage in the traditional sense” held by some religionists. Marriage and Family have always been dynamic and have changed drastically over history. At one time, for example, divorce was illegal no matter what the circumstance. Adherents to the view of wives as chattel used scripture to support the “sin” of divorce, or the “sin” of a woman who expressed her opinion alongside a man’s. And, biblically, it was argued that it was a man’s right to beat his wife if she was disobedient. Thank goodness all that changed!
Now, how gay couples marrying and raising children is a threat to “the institution” of marriage is beyond me. In my opinion, if the love is there, then all is well with the world; and the slippery slope of moral degradation to Armageddon is just a rightwing sadomasochistic religious fallacy.
To summarise; we are a diverse nation with a variety of cultural, secular, and religious ideology. Each must be free to believe what they believe, love whom they must love, and be equal in law and society – no matter what their religion is (or lack thereof), sexual orientation, or culture. I think that the civil union bill is an enlightened step in the right direction.
Waddaya think?
/me wonders if it will get published...
Here's the blurb from TV One's programme schedule (http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvone_story_skin/446555%3fformat=html):
What is a New Zealand family?
The Civil Union Bill has made the definition of "family" a hotly debated topic. In State of the New Zealand Family, hosted by Susan Wood, gay couples, politicians, experts, single parents and conservatives debate what constitutes a family unit in our ever-changing society.
Under most New Zealand legislation, the state's presumption is that a "family" follows the traditional nuclear model - mum, dad and kids. However, increasing numbers of New Zealand families are set up differently and legislation, such as the Civil Union Bill, seeks to reflect these changes.
This doesn't sit well with traditional values groups. The head pastor of the Destiny Church, Brian Tamaki, decries the Civil Union Bill, which will allow same-sex and de-facto couples to legally register their union (but stops short of actually calling it marriage).
Tamaki believes family based on marriage is the cornerstone of the nation and the Civil Union Bill is placing it under threat; but many New Zealanders, especially gay and lesbian couples in committed relationships, welcome a wider definition of "family".
"What we hope to do is bring advocates of all those differing views face to face, live in the same TV studio," says producer Richard Harman.
"In doing that we expect we'll see the same tension between the participants we saw with the recent immigration debate we produced. But if that debate is anything to go by we also expect to find an audience who really want to see the crunch issues facing New Zealand debated intelligently and with insight into the way we live today."
The issue was debated intelligently and respectfully, and prompted me to write a letter to the editor of The Listener (www.listener.co.nz).
Here's my letter:
It was wonderful to watch the debate on TV One's "The State of the New Zealand Family". The fact that we are able to conduct civil discourse, in a public arena on such contentious issues, is something that we New Zealanders should be very proud of. In a world that appears to have gone mad with rightwing religious-political extremism and Machiavellian sloganeering I am grateful that we can, and do, do this. Thank you, TV One.
I would’ve liked to have voted “yes” in the poll that TV One hosted, as I do believe that the gay family is a real family, just like any other; and that the proposed civil union bill is an enlightened one that promotes love, commitment, and fairness. Unfortunately, I waited too long to make the call and could not vote. The final tally disappointed me, but the statements made by many of the debate contributors gave me some hope for this country. The closing transcribed statement, of a long-serving family court judge, summed up my sentiments on the matter beautifully.
Bigotry and intolerance seem to be very much in vogue in the world right now, and it tends to hide behind, or piggyback upon, carefully selected bible scripture with twisted interpretations, and espoused as an absolute. Kind of like the religious right’s obsession with the 10 Commandments, while ignoring the Sermon on the Mount. It is disingenuous at best, and dangerous at it’s worst.
I’m an atheist, “liberal” and humanist, but was heartened to hear the Anglican Minister’s point of view. As I understand it, Christ was supposed to be about love, and I thought this Minister was a fine representative of his Christ. I felt quite differently about the Destiny Church’s representative, and about Peter Dunn.
The representative of Destiny Church revealed his true colours, when shortly after saying that his Church did not hate gays, went on to use a word like “detest”; undeniably a synonym for hate.
I also took issue with the “definition of marriage in the traditional sense” held by some religionists. Marriage and Family have always been dynamic and have changed drastically over history. At one time, for example, divorce was illegal no matter what the circumstance. Adherents to the view of wives as chattel used scripture to support the “sin” of divorce, or the “sin” of a woman who expressed her opinion alongside a man’s. And, biblically, it was argued that it was a man’s right to beat his wife if she was disobedient. Thank goodness all that changed!
Now, how gay couples marrying and raising children is a threat to “the institution” of marriage is beyond me. In my opinion, if the love is there, then all is well with the world; and the slippery slope of moral degradation to Armageddon is just a rightwing sadomasochistic religious fallacy.
To summarise; we are a diverse nation with a variety of cultural, secular, and religious ideology. Each must be free to believe what they believe, love whom they must love, and be equal in law and society – no matter what their religion is (or lack thereof), sexual orientation, or culture. I think that the civil union bill is an enlightened step in the right direction.
Waddaya think?
/me wonders if it will get published...