- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
- Messages
- 34,951
- Reaction score
- 16,311
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- Political Leaning
- Socialist
No but churches dont do marriages they do weddings.
Really?
Sure about that?
Read much?
Don't confuse this with a similar poll (that gave me the idea for this one). I'm not asking if you think churches will be forced to perform gay marriages, I'm asking for your honest opinion if you believe they should be forced to do it.
By forced, I mean anything that the govt could use to penalize churches for failing to performing the ceremonies, including removing tax exempt status if they don't, etc.
Absolutely not. First off, separation of church and state. Second, churches aren't the only place where people get married.By forced, I mean anything that the govt could use to penalize churches for failing to performing the ceremonies, including removing tax exempt status if they don't, etc.
Marriage is a legal document that awards benefits to couples that are romantically involved, but so too can civil unions.
Marriage is a form of unification under religion and is separate from State unions, which are papers and benefits devoid of God.
Should Christians be tolerant and equally treat those who are gay by marrying them, yes, (for it is not their place to judge) but should they be forced to do so, no.
The State’s responsibility is to ensure equal rights are awarded to all, e.g., financial benefits, which can be done without religious marriage via State sanctioned unions, and homosexuals and heterosexuals should both have the right to enter into a union through a Judge.
Religion will eventually grow into modernity and be more accepting, but it will be done slowly and from within the Church and its members rather than by legal obligations forced upon it by the State.
In the mean time, it is the Priests, Ministers, Rabbis, Imams, etc to determine if they will or will not marry people under their respective religions.
Don't confuse this with a similar poll (that gave me the idea for this one). I'm not asking if you think churches will be forced to perform gay marriages, I'm asking for your honest opinion if you believe they should be forced to do it.
By forced, I mean anything that the govt could use to penalize churches for failing to performing the ceremonies, including removing tax exempt status if they don't, etc.
No religion owns marriage. Marriage is and has been a civil union. It was only when religions were gaining political/social power that they started to care about marriage. Society owns marriage, not religion. I am just as married as anyone who went through a church, religion, mentioned God. They have the same legal marriage I have.
So no religions doesn't get to claim marriage just because they mistakenly believe they own the word or the institution. They are wrong.
They "own" the term when it is performed by them, but that, I'm sure, will change in time. Legislation can be passed to call judge performed unions marriage, thereby making unions via church representatives or judges marriage, which I also agree should be done.
(and some church representative are performing marriage, which is the fight from within that must take place for religion to change, and this internal struggled can only be benefited by society as a whole changing the term of judge unions, i.e., changing them to marriage)
Forcing churches to marry all is too far in that it violates religious freedoms (which makes it very impractical in this era to resolve this issue), but it's societies' responsibility to provide an alternate option through non-religious means, which the above suggestion accomplishes.
Religion will eventually follow, and changing societies' terms, i.e., judge sanctioned unions into marriage, will help pave the way for religious change and tolerance from within; whereas force will only be despised and fought against.
I agree religious institutions should change and allow same-sex-marriage, but I disagree with how it should be achieved.