What Would Jesus Do?
Well, maybe something like this -- from a story by Shaila Dewan in the IHT:
The United Church of Christ became the first mainline Christian denomination to officially support same-sex marriages when its general synod passed a resolution affirming "equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender."
The resolution was adopted Monday in the face of efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. It was both a theological statement and a protest against discrimination, said the Reverend John Thomas, president and general minister of the denomination, which has 6,000 congregations and 1.3 million members.
"On this July 4, the United Church of Christ has courageously acted to declare freedom, affirming marriage equality, affirming the civil rights of gay - of same-gender - couples to have their relationships recognized as marriages by the state, and encouraging our local churches to celebrate those marriages," Thomas said at a news conference after the vote by the General Synod.
The synod's decisions are not binding and the vote will not require pastors to provide marriage ceremonies for gay couples. Some United Church of Christ ministers already perform such ceremonies.
While the United Church of Christ has not had the widespread divisions other major denominations have experienced over homosexuality, some member churches had said that such a vote could prompt them to leave the denomination, and one group called for Thomas's resignation when he came out in support of the resolution. One amendment offered on the synod floor, and accepted, added a phrase acknowledging the "pain and struggle" passage of the resolution would engender.
Oh, please. I get letters about "pain and struggle" from hundreds of heterosexual married people every month. Since we don't have gay people marrying in this country (and I just looove that lame "Oh, it will ruin the institution of marriage" excuse!) -- who is there for all the pained, struggling heteros to blame?
I think I have said this before here: Personally, I don't believe in the institution of marriage. I feel it is completely unnecessary and undermines the individuality of both people involved. I feel kind of the way Gloria Steinem used to feel before she met Christian Bale's dad - although more from a humanist standpoint than a feminist one.
Goddyss at July 7, 2005 8:54 AM
> I feel it is completely unnecessary and
> undermines the individuality of both people
> involved.
Individuality can be overrated. A lot of really important projects can only be reliably accomplished by teams.
Crid at July 7, 2005 3:30 PM
The "institution" of marriage here is one where partners pledge their lives to near strangers. The current environment in the US is that men and women know more about their friends than their spouse. What union can be strong with such a societal bias against intimacy before marriage?
Various busybodies posing as moralists will cluck and "Tsk!" their disapproval of even platonic friendships; if a man and woman are friends, everyone "reasons", then they must be banging away lustfully at every opportunity.
Of course that's wrong - but many popular ideas are.
Here's a sad story: One fine day on the submarine, one of our buddies stated that his wife was the only woman for him. Now, we knew this lout well, and two of us proceeded to show him that not only had he never associated with her other than at night on "dates" (a gruesome prospect even then - we had seen the object of his affection in sunlight), but he never once thought of her as a friend and confidant. Swiftly we "proved" that in entrusting his personal welfare to such a beast (her behavior was also, um, unladylike) he had taken less care than someone playing Russian Roulette without checking to see if the chambers were all loaded.
I guess you had to be there - but my point remains: the majority of marriages come with expectations held in ignorance of basic human nature.
Radwaste at July 7, 2005 3:48 PM
Crid,
I guess marriage works for some. But some of us just aren't team players and like to work independently.
Not that I can't play well with others, but ...
Goddyss at July 8, 2005 1:43 PM
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