Are you still undecided or uninterested in the same-sex marriage postal vote?

To many observers,'the sexual revolution did not start with same-sex marriage, and it will not end there'.

There are children of same-sex couples who are against the legislation of same sex marriages. Children who were raised without a mother or father report that their natural right to both a father and mother (with the deliberate intention of not having one of the parents there) has been violated. There are also homosexual people themselves who do not support same-sex marriage.

These consequences, after they became evident to me, have convinced me to vote 'No' on the postal vote. In retrospect, the arguments I once believed rational are flawed. I can now see that same-sex marriage is not about privacy, freedom, or equality. It is not a private matter, for it has repercussions for so many people, such as children in the 'Safe Schools' program. It is not a complete matter of freedom, because it lets freedom between two adults be disengaged from their natural responsibility of providing a father and a mother to their children if they are going to have a family. It is not a matter of freedom, because it deprives others of their freedom, such as those wishing to quietly follow their conscience in their way of life, in their own business and religious communities. It is not a matter of equality, for whilst we must treat people fairly, we should be allowed to acknowledge and respect differences in doing so. Just like everybody has an equal right to use a public bathroom, but it doesn't mean I have a right to use a female bathroom, nor a female has a right to use mine. Equality does not necessarily always mean the same. In fact, there are times it should not. This is called appropriateness, in accordance with intrinsic differences. As Pope Francis says, 'A marriage - made up of man and woman - is not the same as the union of two people of the same sex. To distinguish is not to discriminate but to respect differences. A father is never the same as a mother'. To say that a "marriage" between two men, or between two women, is the same as a marriage between a man and a woman is like saying that potatoes are the same as oranges.

I reckoned my compassion had been misplaced previously. I'd like to think I have been correct in my thinking all the time but I accepted I was not. I still accept and respect gay individuals and couples but it does not mean I have to support gay marriage. As a community we still support the 1975 decision to decriminalise homosexuality, and support any effort towards anti-discrimination. In fact, legally, homosexual couples have very similar rights as de-facto heterosexual couples. I think as the way forward we should revisit the idea of a national civil registration of same sex union, which should aim to remove any remnant of discriminatory legal or administrative practices.

I am finally at peace with my faith, and in voting 'No' I believe I can show my Christian love more appropriately. I am glad my decision – even it didn't come from biblical authority – does not go against the Bible and my church's teaching, and my fear of going against the Creator has gone. There is a natural law in His creation, and I feel I should respect that. In fact, I started to feel the wisdom of the words of God again.

If you are unsure, do not be afraid to find out more from both sides of the campaign. Filter it, discern it and reflect on it. It is okay to say no, but we cannot afford to say yes. We cannot afford not to vote either. These changes are irreversible.

I leave you with the words of Archbishop Mark Coleridge, 'It's true that all human beings are equal. But that doesn't mean they are the same... Marriage policy has almost always "discriminated" against certain people: parents can't marry their children, brother and sister can't marry, and those under age can't marry. Nor can people of the same sex. That doesn't make them any less equal'; and the words of Pope Francis, 'every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while every sign of unjust discrimination is to be carefully avoided, (however) there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family.'

God bless,
An anonymous father.