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Originally Posted by libby  For all of you Christians who belong to a church that opposes same sex marriage. Do you think it likely that in a few more years the state will be demanding that your church marry gays or lose their tax exempt status? As a Catholic, I see Catholic hospitals being told that they must perform abortion services. Catholic pharmacists (few though they are that actually practice their faith) being told that they must dispense abortaficients (and I don't think it would be any burden on the patient to go to the pharmacy on the next block), thereby losing their rights to practice their own faith.
We owned a rental property 20 years ago when equal rights in housing/employment, etc came out in our home state at that time. We were not free to say "no" to a gay couple who wanted to rent. The progressive rights have greater weight that the traditional rights as these bills become law.
I predict that our traditional churches will close or be closed if they refuse to marry gays and lesbians.
BTW- I know the pro gay folks will say I'm going overboard, etc. While I'm sure you'll participate in this thread if you want, it is really only directed at the traditionally minded. |
My initial reaction to this would be to presume that no one would want to be married in a church that condemned their "marriage". And, certainly, it is up to the priest/pastor/minister/whatever to determine who they will marry.
However, the recent suit against eHarmony for not providing a homosexual option, and eHarmony's response of submitting to the coersion, tells me that I may not be correct in this.
The problem too many people have with this is that they somehow need the state to condone and label their union with their partner in a certain way to feel it is legitimate.
As California proved, having 100% equal rights with a different name was not good enough for the homosexual lobby, they needed the specific name.
Why a homosexual couple cannot simply have a wedding ceremony, buy rings, buy homes together, and celebrate their life together as husband and husband or wife and wife taking the necessary legal actions to have living wills, powers of attorney, etc., to reap all of the legal niceties that a marriage certificate offers (or, accept that they are not "married" by definition, and allow their union to be certified as a same-gendered union) baffles me to no end.
I hope religions are kept with their first amendment status and allowed to practice their religion without state interference, but I doubt it. We've seen over and over again that the "separation of church and state" only applies AGAINST churches, not for them.