If church leaders are allowed to decline to wed same-sex couples, on the grounds that it's his religious belief (First Amendment, etc), why shouldn't this apply to, well, anything? Provided he doesn't actually break any laws (murder obviously isn't excusable under this religion defense), isn't it hypocritical and prejudicial to say he can say "No" to same-sex weddings but not other types of weddings he might find objectionable?
Since the church considers marriage a sacrament, there are no civil laws forcing the church to administer them to anyone. This applies to most church services -- they have a great deal of discretion.
For example, certain clergy have been known to refuse Communion to people for various reasons -- for example, being gay or endorsing pro-choice politics. There's no legal or civil recourse; the church does what it wants.
__________________ "Don’t speak to me about your religion; first show it to me in how you treat other people.
Don’t tell me how much you love your God; show me in how much you love all God’s children.
Don’t preach to me your passion for your faith; teach me through your compassion for your neighbors.
In the end, I’m not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as I am in how you choose to live and give."
-- Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ.
I find it interesting that the government recognizes marriages between heterosexual atheists and agnostics - who have made a conscious decision to reject God as part of their religious orientation.
Government, on the other hand, has chosen to reject marriages between same sex couples, despite the fact tha tit has been my experience that people don't make a conscious decision with respect to their sexual orientation.
Even those gays who believe in God and consider themselves Christians are excluded - despite the fact that a large part of the current contoversy is based on religious traditions.
__________________ Leviticus 20:9 " 'If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head."
There isn't some Platonic archetype or idea of "marriage" in the heavens. It's a label humans developed for a certain union between people. Differing cultures used varying standards for the institution. Humans developed the term and the institution and can therefore broaden the framework. That a specific culture, at a certain period of time, thought certain things where necessary or defining for the institution in no way implies an inability for change or other adaptations. Our current legal definition allows for marriage between blacks and whites for example which wasn't previously the case in the USA.
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Substance does not undergo process. Process is primary and what we call substance is merely a temporary pattern produced by that process.
1. We fight gay marriage and it gets banned - So we get our way, of course the result is gay and lesbians are angry with us, hate us, probably hate our God. So this looks like way more lost souls get to go to hell.
2. We stop and say "we don't believe in it, but go ahead and have your freedoms" - We let go and let everyone marry whoever they want, while holding to our beliefs. This results in probably tons of gay and lesbian people choosing to seek God, because they feel more accepted
If you still want option 1, please explain your plan to fight gay marriage, but to still reach out to gay and lesbians to try to lead them to Christ. If you don't have a plan then I would say you are not prepared to make this decision for others. Remember that there is only one thing that matters right now, we are in the middle of a battle for souls.
Many, many people disagree with your authority in proclaiming that to be the case.
Obviously, some people disagree, but the majority of states have confirmed keeping the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.
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Rev 19:9-10 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
yes we are suppose to love everyone and pray for everyone
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