The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) has spoken out against the proposed single Marriage Bill, contending that it seeks to undermine traditional family values.
On Monday, the first day of the Marriage Bill public hearings, ACDP members and leadership voiced their disapproval of the proposed Bill.
ACDP President, Rev Kenneth Meshoe, also attended the hearings taking place in Gauteng.
“The hearings continue today and we once again encourage as many of our members as possible to go out there and speak out against this diabolical proposal. Family forms the nucleus of communities and ultimately the nation. Family, as God created it, must remain as such!” said Rev Meshoe.
The ACDP explained what it believes is wrong with the Bill and why it wants the public to stand against it.
1. The single Marriage Bill does not retain the words ‘husband’ and ‘wife’.
“Marriage was created and ordained by God to be a union between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, and Ephesians 5:31). This is also recognised by different cultures and religions represented in South Africa.”
2. Redefining (heterosexual) traditional marriage will be detrimental.
“The implications of redefining traditional marriage, (which God ordained to be between a man and woman), would be detrimental to the health and welfare of children, the stability of the family, social cohesion and economic prosperity.”
3. A religious and conscientious exemption clause in not included.
“The single Marriage Bill does not exempt Christian or other religious marriage officers from conducting same-sex unions or other ‘marriages’ they may disagree with on the grounds of religious or conscientious objection.”
Several religious leaders, cultural activists and general members also told a Parliamentary delegation of the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee that they have serious reservations about the Marriage Bill.
They told the committee that the Bill in its current form will undermine culture and tradition, which do not recognise the concept of polyandry and marriage between people of the same gender.
Other critics of the draft legislation told the committee that the Bill is too liberal, and they proposed that a law must have limits, instead of allowing and legalising every societal trend.
The Bill was also criticised for its silence on the practice of ‘ukuthwala’, an ancient form of arranged marriage that involved the abduction of a woman to be taken to the home of the would-be husband without the agreement of the parents.
Citizens who spoke on this subject said the practice should be outlawed as it involved the “kidnapping” of underaged girls to be forced into marriage with older men.
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