Mount Athos monks weigh in on gay marriage
The government’s plans to legislate for marriage equality “circumvents fundamental principles of human existence,” the 20 monasteries that make up the monastic community of Mount Athos have announced.
The proposed legislation, which includes provisions for child adoption by same-sex couples, would not only put an end to a “child’s ability to develop in accordance with nature,” but would also dissolve the family unit and human existence as a whole, the announcement from the all-male autonomous region reads.
Lawmakers supporting the proposed legislation seem to make up the majority of members of parliament. In addition to leftist SYRIZA and socialist PASOK generally supporting the bill, two thirds of center-right New Democracy’s MPs are also in favor, while communist KKE, religious-conservative Niki and far-right Spartans stand against it.
Aggregate opinion polling has shown that Greek society is largely divided on the issue and its details regardless of party lines or voting intention, but a majority of respondents saying they stand against adoption and surrogate motherhood has been consistent.
