Divorce church from state in same-sex marriage debate

Suddenly this summer, the reality of same-sex couples lining up to get married in California has led some religious leaders to rethink their government role.

In a letter last month, Bishop Marc Handley Andrus of the Episcopal Diocese of California directed his clergy to "encourage all couples, regardless of orientation, to follow the pattern of first being married in a secular service and then being blessed in The Episcopal Church."

The bishop's missive illustrates what a tangled web we have woven when clergy intone "by the power invested in me by the state."

Because the Episcopal Church doesn't sanction same-sex marriage — but gives the option of blessing the union — the bishop appears to be seeking a way to bless all couples while distancing the church from legal arrangements sanctioned by the state.

"There are a lot of benefits in getting out of the legal marriage business," the Very Rev. Brian Baker told The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee in reaction to the bishop's letter. "This way the clergy and the couple can focus on the spiritual blessings the church has to offer and not the political stuff."

[Houyhnhnm]

Hallef**kinglujah. This is some new discovery? Phenomenal. But don't stop there, it's a great model for everything religious to stay out of politics.(In another 200 years, they'll "discover" that weight loss is related to diet and exercise)

[Ziggy on High]

It does seem to take ages for so many people to learn the most basic of concepts that really should be common bloody sense.

As William S. Burroughs once said, "Man is a bad animal."

[Pagan and Proud]

Rex wrote:

You have no logical case for your cause

No, you don't. you simply post disproven spam repeatedly.

[dante2810]

The thing that people seem to forget is that the California Supreme Court took an OBJECTIVE look at the same sex marriage issue and realized what had to be done.
You cannot mix religion with civil law. The system would collapse upon itself the minute you tried to incorporate the thousands of different religious views into a rule of law. And the false argument that was are founded as a christian country will the most part of this concept.

>"How much pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened."
Thomas Jefferson

[dante2810]

dante2810 wrote:

The thing that people seem to forget is that the California Supreme Court took an OBJECTIVE look at the same sex marriage issue and realized what had to be done.
You cannot mix religion with civil law. The system would collapse upon itself the minute you tried to incorporate the thousands of different religious views into a rule of law. And the false argument that was are founded as a christian country will the most part of this concept.
>"How much pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened."
Thomas Jefferson

<<SIGH>> Somehow a few words in that got omitted, so that is why it looks kinda gibberish. But you get my point.

[Ralph]

Just maybe this disease of rational thought will spread to other religions, and we can get on with same-sex marriage as it should be.

[Yobyag]

Wow. It's about time someone wised up and realized that this was a good idea.

Finally a little common sense prevails..

[WAW]

Let's all do ourselves a favour and ignore people like Rex. In fact don't even judge it. It is so tiresome to keep reading these same rantings time and time again.

[blasterboy1984]

WAW wrote:

Let's all do ourselves a favour and ignore people like Rex. In fact don't even judge it. It is so tiresome to keep reading these same rantings time and time again.

Oh look...I do believe that Rex 'judged' you.

:-p

[blasterboy1984]

Austin wrote:

<quoted text>
Wrong. You've disproven NOTHING.
Are you really fooled by homosexual "marriage?" It is a hate based political charade with no real basis in homosexual life.
The ridiculous political charade of homosexual "marriage" remains exposed as the fraud that it is.
No significant percent of homosexuals has "married" in ANY country that permits the oxymoron.
Homosexuals are NOT the same as other people. They seldom form longterm exclusive
relationships, often completely obsess on perversion, and have much elevated rates of many diseases and social ills. THIS is the reality.
....

Keep pointing out to you that the statistics don't bear you out. Homosexuals marry at the same rate as straights everywhere they are allowed to. As for the rest of your blather I don't think I will address it until you start posting the supporting evidence for the claims you make.

[Pagan and Proud]

Austin wrote:

<quoted text>
Wrong. You've disproven NOTHING.

Everything you've ever printed has been repeatedly disproven to be nothing but a pack of complete LIES.

[McMike]

Wil,

I, for one, am over you looking like a total idiot. You need to omit "No significant percent of homosexuals has "married" in ANY country that permits the oxymoron" from your postings. Why do you waste your time posting under different screen names yet so easily give yourself away with this line? I realize you're obsessed - you're a man driven crazy trying to change something which, no matter how hare you pray, God will not allow to change, but please stop making yourself to look like a HUGE moron. I feel for you. If sexuality was something one could change I would have done so a long time ago. Hopefully one day you can find peace and/or razorblades.

[Shadow Dragon]

McMike wrote:

Wil,
I, for one, am over you looking like a total idiot. You need to omit "No significant percent of homosexuals has "married" in ANY country that permits the oxymoron" from your postings. Why do you waste your time posting under different screen names yet so easily give yourself away with this line? I realize you're obsessed - you're a man driven crazy trying to change something which, no matter how hare you pray, God will not allow to change, but please stop making yourself to look like a HUGE moron. I feel for you. If sexuality was something one could change I would have done so a long time ago. Hopefully one day you can find peace and/or razorblades.

That's what Wil does best making himself a fool and not giving a sh!t about it.

[newanarchy]

I've posted this question all over these boards and still have not had one single person answer it, come on folks, people who are so convinced they are right should be able to answer this with no problem.
How does gay marriage affect your straight marriage? Do I love my wife any less now that gays are allowed to marry in California than I did before they were allowed? Is my marriage any less viable now than it was before? Do I love my children any less because gays can marry?
Come on folks give me some answers without resorting to "religious" reasons which have no argument based on common sense or laws. Tell me how it affects YOUR marriage. Tell me why you are against equal rights for everyone.

[Disgusted American]

newanarchy wrote:

I've posted this question all over these boards and still have not had one single person answer it, come on folks, people who are so convinced they are right should be able to answer this with no problem.
How does gay marriage affect your straight marriage? Do I love my wife any less now that gays are allowed to marry in California than I did before they were allowed? Is my marriage any less viable now than it was before? Do I love my children any less because gays can marry?
Come on folks give me some answers without resorting to "religious" reasons which have no argument based on common sense or laws. Tell me how it affects YOUR marriage. Tell me why you are against equal rights for everyone.

DON'T Hold your breath waiting for an answer to that....the Buy-Bull Beaters don't have anything to fall back on, but thier SKY FAIRY myths!