[GCFL-discuss] Marriage

[gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net]

Brit, I don't understand what  you mean by "outlaw same sex marriage".
Ohio does not currently have any law PROVIDING for same sex marriage,
does it? So why do you need to outlaw it? It is the very nature of
marriage that an authorized clerk has to issue a license in order for a
civil marriage to occur, and/or a church has to bless a marriage, or none
has taken place. Unless Ohio passes a law to AUTHORIZE same sex
"marriage", none are going to exist. I assume you are not advocating a
law to put any minister in prison who "blesses" a gay couple -- which
would have no legal standing at all. Two people of the same gender cannot
"commit marriage" by declaring themselves to be married. That is like the
old saying, you can call yourself a millionaire, but it doesn't put a
dollar in your pocket.

Likewise, as far as I know, your state supreme court is not prepared to
follow the reasoning of the supreme court in Massachusetts -- which
contains a fairly obvious flaw, and is not binding on any other state.
But if it seems otherwise, please pass that around the discussion group,
and maybe we can all help. Its a shame to leave legal reasoning entirely
up to lawyers when we all have to live by the results.

Siarlys


P.S. The choice your church has made is a natural one. Whenever members
of one church find that some say "this is acceptable to us" while other
say "it is not acceptable to us," some separation is necessary and
healthy. Hopefully, this can be done with enough humility to recognize, I
may be wrong, you may be wrong, we may both be wrong, but from what I
believe to be true, we cannot walk the same road together for now.

I have never been a member of the Episcopalian Church, and my church is
not currently contemplating the installation of a homosexual as bishop.
Accordingly, I have been content to leave that discussion to those who
have placed themselves within the authority of the Episcopal Diocese of
New Hampshire, or the church authorities who accepted that Diocese's
decision. As to Biblical authority, I can read that for myself.


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