[Eng. Prayer] Ireland: Ireland’s Referendum Failed in Attempt to Change the Meaning of Marriage and Women in the Constitution

“My son, do not walk in the way of the wicked, but turn away from it.”

On the 11th, Life News reported that the Irish government held two referendums on the 9th to redefine the meaning of “marriage” and “woman,” but failed as the majority of voters rejected the new expressions.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s government tried to pass two agendas in a referendum: a Family amendment and a Care amendment. Both agendas aimed to change the wording of Article 41 of the Irish Constitution, written in 1937.

In the Family Amendment, the government sought to change the constitutional provision that “the state recognizes families as the natural and basic unit groups of society.” The Constitution supports that families are based on marriage.

Prime Minister Varadkar proposed adding “other sustainable relationships” and removing the clause confirming that marriage is the foundation of the family. In the Care Amendment Bill, the government sought to remove all references to motherhood from the constitution to “balance gender roles”.

The government’s campaign stated that “the nation… Efforts should be made to prevent mothers from being forced by economic necessity to engage in labour while neglecting their duties at home,” and argued that the original bill would “confine the Irish woman to the kitchen.”

According to Reuters, a proposal to expand the definition of family from relationships based on marriage to include other sustainable relationships was rejected by a vote of 67.7% to 32.3%. A second referendum to replace language surrounding women’s primary role in the home was rejected by a vote of 73.9% to 26.1%.

Prime Minister Varadkar said, “Obviously we were wrong,” and added, “If we lost by this much, there are many people who misunderstood this, and I am one of them.” (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper)

Listen, my son, accept what I say,    and the years of your life will be many.   Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it;    turn from it and go on your way. (Proverbs 4:10, 14-15)

God, we thank You for keeping the perception of the majority of Irish people correct and preventing evil laws from being enacted, despite the government’s evil attempts to go against the truth. Through this result, let the government not just acknowledge its ignorance, but return from the evil path that left God and move to the place where the word of life is received. Let the church wake up and preach the gospel so that this Catholic country can live a life of truth beyond conservative values and restore it to a country that fights in prayer and revere the Lord.

Prayer 24·365
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