Tag: same-sex marriage
“There are extraordinary circumstances under which people may be able to break the law and claim higher authority, but being an elected official is not one of them,” says Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. But Roger Severino of the Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society disagrees. “The law actually requires religious accommodation where it’s reasonable. It’s part of our traditions, it’s part of our history, and it’s part of our law,” he says. More
In a historic ruling in June, a divided Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in every state. “Christianity require you to push back against the world,” says Collin Hansen of the Gospel Coalition. But author Matthew Vines of the Reformation Project suggests that once even some evangelicals are willing to change their position, then “it starts to significantly shift the dynamic.” More
“Supporters of gay marriage say religion should not be used to discriminate against people. Religion should not be an excuse for people not to provide services or do their jobs. But conservative law firms are saying people have a right to stand up for what they believe, and they can’t be forced to act against what they believe.” More
Correspondent Tim O’Brien observes that the High Court’s upholding of gay marriage nationwide “is for gays and lesbians what Brown v Board of Education was for African Americans.” More
John Bursch, the main lawyer arguing why the states should not be required to license same-sex marriages, summed the issue up this way: “You can love your neighbor no matter what their sexual orientation is—what choices they make about their life—and still have a disagreement about what marriage means. And the question is who gets to decide the meaning of marriage?” More
We take our annual look back at the top religion and ethics news of the year—Pope Francis and his priorities, such as helping the poor, and also churches divided over homosexuality and same-sex marriage. More
The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline states that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” and it prohibits Methodist ministers from performing same-sex marriages. But “these are unjust laws,” says Rev. Thomas Ogletree, “and therefore they do not really have the authority of law.” More
“Within five years we will bring marriage equality to all 50 states in this vast county,” said Chad Griffith, a board member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights. More
“The vote on the Defense of Marriage Act was very interesting. You had five justices saying this denies gays and lesbians equality and liberty guaranteed by the Constitution, and I think that says an awful lot because that will carry down the road in other cases. I think this may be a precursor for a ruling that says any discrimination based on sexual orientation by the state is suspect and will only be upheld in extraordinary circumstances.” More
“This has energized the movement for marriage redefinition, and at the same time it’s energized those of us who believe marriage is the union of a man and a woman for the sake of their children,” said Kim Daniels, an attorney and a spokeswoman for the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. More
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