Separation of Church and State=Same Sex Marriage

Shannon LC Cate — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Finally! Someone from a religious perspective is talking sense about gay marriage. (And it's in the newspaper.) Joseph Conn, spokesperson for Americans United for the Separation on Church and State told the San Jose Mercury news:

"At its heart, the marriage issue is a church-state issue...In effect, you have several of the large faith groups trying to impose their viewpoint on marriage on the whole state. That's really what's going on with this referendum."

Precisely. Civil marriage is a legal status granted by the state. It has nothing to do with religious marriage which is granted or not by religious traditions in a wide variety of ways. Hence many same-sex couples have received blessings on their unions from their religious communities but lack any civil rights based on legal marriage. Hence, same-sex couples in states that marry them have those civil rights and may or may not have received any kind of blessing from a religious entity.

I have long-believed that the confusion people have about the difference between what a religious entity does in marrying and what the state does in marrying is the crux of the disagreement about "gay marriage." Churches will never have to marry same-sex couples if doing so offends their beliefs. Think about it. No church has to marry anybody now if doing so offends their beliefs. Most Roman Catholic churches won't marry non-Catholics unless they convert and/or the non-Catholic member of a couple promises to allow any children to be raised Catholic. Orthodox Jewish rabbis often have similar policies. Various churches I have attended had requirements to marry that included church-based premarital counseling, church membership of a year or longer and even a history of contributing money to the church.

In spite of these rules, the Roman Catholic Church is not lobbying to outlaw marriage for non-Catholics. But that's the level of absurdity to which religious opposition to same-sex marriage falls.

In this country, we have something called freedom of religion. That means we are free to practice or not practice any religion we choose. It also means we are free from the government making laws based on the beliefs of any particular religion and enforcing them upon everyone.

And this married, Christian, lesbian mom says thank God for that.

Strollerderby : Joseph Conn

Separation of Church and State=Same Sex Marriage