Marriage between husband and wife
Marriage is described in the Bible as a "union between a man and a woman", stated the SDA presidents. "We are still committed to life and love between men and women and their outstanding role in society." To distinguish between marriage and other lifestyle choices is an act of differentiation and not discrimination, continued Naether and Dullinger.
However, the value judgment of relationships is a "sensitive issue". "We are therefore in favour of the fact that in the controversial discussions about different lifestyle choices, our focus is always on the dignity of the person, whether heterosexual or homosexual”, emphasized the church leaders. "As a church, we respect the political decisions of our state, but as part of a democratic society and as Christians, we regard marriage as a successful and timeless model union between man and woman," as stated in their last paragraph.