A reverend at a Sydney Uniting Church has sent a powerful message to Lyle Shelton and the Australian Christian Lobby, rejecting their campaign against marriage equality, and reminding them that mainstream Australians support and respect the push for equal recognition under law.
The Reverend Meredith Williams from St David’s Uniting Church in Dee Why received an email from Shelton this week, asking her to “activate” her congregation in the campaign against marriage equality, and she wrote back with a firm no thank you.
Williams’ son, proud of his mum for taking a stand against bigotry, posted a copy of his mum’s email on social media, and it has since been widely shared as a reminder that the ACL’s bigoted stance on marriage equality puts them at odds with many actual Christians.
“Please be advised that I am fully in favour of marriage equality and do not in any way feel it threatens me, my marriage, my children or the society in which I live,” Williams wrote in her reply.
“Neither do I think the voluntary, exclusive union of two adult people who love each other contravenes Christian concepts of love, relationships, fidelity and mutual life enrichment.”
“I resent your assumption that all Christians share your views, and your portrayal of your organisation as in some way representative of Australian Christians on the issue.”
“I look forward eagerly to the time when I will be able to celebrate the weddings of same-gender couples, and I believe that time is not far off,” she continued.
“Please take me/my congregation off your mailing list.”
With Lyle Shelton, Tony Abbott and the rest of their ilk already spreading hate and negativity around marriage equality, this serves as an important reminder to LGBT people that many in the community are willing to have our backs.
Pauline Pantsdown shared a copy of the email, which you can read in full below:
An excellent slap to @LyleShelton from Reverend Meredith Williams of the Uniting Church, when asked to “activate” against #MarriageEquality pic.twitter.com/Dc6I2BWR6i
— Pauline Pantsdown (@PPantsdown) August 11, 2017
