Pretoria, South Africa - In a move that puts it at odds with the Catholic Church, the South African Council of Churches wants the national government to review the law which recognizes only marriage between a man and a woman.
The Constitutional Court found the Marriage Act, 1961 unconstitutional and ordered a review of the law. In February, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference reiterated the church's opposition to same-sex unions.
But the SACC wants a law that treats all marriages equally. "As a part of this long overdue review, we must also consider how our society recognises and protects committed same-sex partnerships," said Eddie Makue, SACC general secretary, in a letter to the Chairs of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Home Affairs and Justice and Constitutional Development.
He said there is not a single "Christian" perspective on marriage. "Currently, most churches uphold the union of one man and one woman as the only valid model for Christian marriage. At the same time, there is a growing number of dissenting voices in all denominations - people who see equal validation of homosexual and heterosexual unions as consistent with their understanding of the inclusiveness expressed through the unconditional love referred to as God's grace."
He rejected the view - held by Catholics - that the Bible speaks conclusively against homosexuality, saying Scripture speaks afresh to each generation.
"The handful of passages most commonly read as condemnations of homosexuality were informed by the dominant understanding of human nature at the time they were written. They must be read and interpreted in their historical and cultural context. They should not be simplistically applied to contemporary society any more than ancient ways of explaining the natural world, also evident in scripture, should be used to dismiss the conclusions of centuries of scientific inquiry."
Because Church and State have different responsibilities, Makue said, "the fact that most Christian denominations are not currently prepared to bless same-sex unions should not necessarily be a rationale for inaction by government. Government's responsibility, in a secular democracy, is not to interpret the Bible but the Constitution."
The SACC secretary general defined religious marriage as a covenant that "two people" make publicly with God, a commitment to mutual sharing, caring, faithfulness and support.
"Consequently, we believe that the State should craft a single legal framework capable of recognising and protecting the legal rights of all partners who wish to declare their commitment to each other, irrespective of their gender or the faith or cultural tradition in which their partnership is recognised or validated."