if (preg_match('/ I do find it very interesting that they only encourage member congregations to make this resolution part of their church and don't require it. Cross post from http://www.iwt.blogspot.comThe marriage equality resolution (1) affirms equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender and declares that the government should not interfere with couples regardless of gender who choose to marry and share fully in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of legally recognized marriage; (2)affirms equal access to the basic rights, institutional protections and quality of life conferred by the recognition of marriage, (3) calls for an end to rhetoric that fuels hostility, misunderstanding, fear and hatred expressed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, (4) asks officers of the church to communicate the resolution to local, state and national legislators, urging them to support equal marriage rights, (5) calls upon all settings of the church to engage in serious, respectful and prayerful discussion of the covenantal relationship of marriage and equal marriage rights, (6) calls upon congregations, after prayerful, biblical, theological, and historical study, to consider adopting Wedding Policies that do not discriminate against couples based on gender, and (7) urges congregations and individuals of the UCC to prayerfully consider and support local, state and national legislation to grant equal marriage rights to couples regardless of gender, and to work again legislation, including constitutional amendments, which denies rights to couples based on gender.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Silas Kain
Full marriage equality. Now that's a totally Christian concept in my book. Profound thanks to the courageous members of the United Church of Christ Synod who have approached this matter in a Christian, common sense manner.
2 - Theco
I was kinda surprised at this myself, good for them.
3 - Mary
The UCC Synod does not require any law from its individual members. Its policy that each individual church have autonomy - like federal vs. state law in the US. Each church is represented by a member of the Synod, 80% of whom voted for this change.
4 - theco
I wasn't sure how the UCC worked, being one of those Eeeevil Zionist Agnostics Out to Rule the World i often have trouble telling one group of religious folk from another.
5 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Christians all over America are beginning to realize and assert that the the Religious Right is not representative of all -- or even most -- Christians and that the intolerance, bigotry, divisiveness and unconstitutional co-mingling of God and government the Religious Right promotes to serve policies that do not even come close to reflecting the Gospel is mutually destructive to both church and state.
Check out Christian Alliance for Progress to see how Christians who understand the Word actually feel about the Religious Right.
6 - PseudoErsatz
Not unexpected. UCC is one of the first to support SSM.
Furthermore, you can expect the following from :
1) Decline in membership. Do your Google searches. You will discover that this is one of the congregations with declining membership. The exodus will go to more conservative churches.
2) Rumors of Church split. Just like the Episcopal church. Constituents returning to their respective congregrations will discover some very concerned groups. There will be motions to secede from the UCC, and statements issued that intend to distance certain UCC congregations from this representative group.
7 - Silas Kain
Is this decline directly attributable to the fact that they have taken a Christian approach to SSM that more conservative groups are too self righteous to appreciate? If that is the case, then I would be proud to be a member of the UCC congregation.
8 - theco
P.E.,
Not to rain to hard on your parade but it looks to me like _all_ Churches are losing members, or at least the ones that keep accurate records.
9 - Silas Kain
But, theco. Conservative religious right Christians are the epitome of honesty, integrity and family values. They would never inflate their numbers so as to misrepresent the impact they have on religion and secular society.
10 - theco
Silas,
Of course they are.
Did i tell you about this lovely ocean front property i have in Montana? 124 acres over all with 36 being along a pristince white sand beach. I'm willing to let it go at a great price, personal history, _really_, i just can't stand to be here anymore.
11 - Matthew T. Sussman
*sigh* another gay marriage post.
Would scientists quick go and find out if there's a gay gene or not so I know what to think about this whole mess?
12 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Should a church really be concerned about a decline in its membership when the members who are leaving are doing so because that church has become more tolerant and inclusive?
Also, I am curious about why the existence or non-existence of a "gay" gene is relevant to Matthew T. Sussman's formation of an opinion on this issue.
13 - andy marsh
Isn't a church saying that it approves or disapproves of a particular "law" some kind of problem with that separation thing that everyone talks about only when it suits their "needs"?
14 - PseudoErsatz
theco: Quite right. My guess is that as more churches turn down its 'light' to the same level of illumination as the community around them, more and more of its members--in regards to church attentence and membership--will conclude, "Why bother?"
Silas: You're right, it is funny how both libs and cons can define "Christian" as the perspective that agrees with them. Somewhere along the way being "Christian" went from functioning as the general glue that held society together to it being used as a political tool. The conservatives have held it long enough, so I guess it is some sort of retribution to have it (slowly) being removed from their grasp to be held proudly by the liberals. It is also no surprise that those who will soon fully wield it will want to politically define the parameters by which it can be held. The good thing about this whole process is that the true "Church" (from the Biblical sense) will finally come to realize two things--1) that both sides have the definition of Christianity screwed up, and 2) they will clearly see how Christianity came to be influenced by society, rather than vice-versa.
15 - Tristan
Breaking news on CNNNNNN :
Gay church approves of heterosexual marriages ........
16 - Steve S
Isn't a church saying that it approves or disapproves of a particular "law" some kind of problem with that separation thing that everyone talks about only when it suits their "needs"?
The Church didn't approve of any law, but it approved the recognition of my relationship on an equivalent level to yours, within the halls of worship. It made an approval on a civic level not a governmental, legislative one.
17 - Dr. Tristan, M.D.
Breaking news on Fox-In-The-Henhouse news:
Gay Church approves of Gay relationships ......
18 - Margaret Romao Toigo
PseudoErsatz wrote:"Somewhere along the way being 'Christian' went from functioning as the general glue that held society together to it being used as a political tool."
Indeed, it has and may God have mercy upon all of us.
Now, do you suppose that this is the result of the diversification of religious faith that has occurred concurrently with an increase in religious tolerance or was it the opportunistic politicians who found a small yet politically significant group of lost and confused souls they could exploit for votes?
As an aside, shouldn't it be the liberals rather than the conservatives who use Christianity as a political tool? After all, liberal philosophies have a lot more in common with the teachings of Christ than conservative philosophies -- especially free market capitalism -- do.
19 - V.L. Carey
I think the UCC Synod got it right regarding gay marriage; and its encouraging that 80% of the synod voted in favor of marriage equality.
The gay marriage debate will only grow hotter as "God is still speaking." What God is saying through churches like the UCC and the Episcopal Church is that homosexuality is NOT a sin, and the Bible doesn't say that it is. Therefore, "marriage is honorable in all..."
This is what the debate will eventually lead to: the truth that God is revealing. And churches and households will be divided: those who believe the truth and those who don't.
20 - Silas Kain
Not unlike the divisions we see now, V.L.
21 - Steve S
it became used as a political tool when it's (self-appointed?) leaders began portraying the religion that is currently in power in the most powerful nation in the world as being a weak victim who is under constant assault.
want to oppress a group of people? Tell the oppressors that they are 'defending' a way of life.
How people cannot see this stuff is beyond me.
'Defend' prostelyzing in school.
'Defend' family values from the tv, the media, Hollywood, liberals, gay people, and damn....why are so many against 'family values'? Hmmm...what could it mean?
'Defend' the unborn from their own possibly liberal mothers.
'Defend' religious fables about the origins of man and earth against rejection by the scientific/educational community.
'Defend' the idolatry of our faith from activist judges who don't want our idols in their 'office'
etc. etc. ad nauseum.
fear works. fear as a political tool works brilliantly. Perhaps if you cannot see it put to use within your own community, then study mine sometime.
22 - Silas Kain
Marriage may be considered by some as an institution ordained by God. In actuality marriage is secularly the creation of a corporate entity. Two people enter into a contract. It's as simple as that. We've taken a simple, lovely concept and made it into this horrible, confusing Pandora's box of finance and emotions.
In the early days, families arranged marriages. That still happens in some cultures today. One has to wonder if such customs are outdated or borderline barbaric. I believe that marriages should be forever. I also believe that we've made the dissolution of the same too easy. There is such a thing as family value. There's no question about it. But, what lingers is, what exactly constitutes the term? Two people who love each other and want to enter into this contract should be encouraged to prosper and preserve their union regardless of the genders involved.
Nobody's condoning bestiality. Nobody's saying that the encouragement of the same will lead to pedophilia or the erosion of the family unit. It creates an alternative family unit which has just as much a right to exist and grow as a conventional union.
Looking at the issue from a religious perspective I can see why there is division among the ranks. There's always been a great debate about sex withing the confines of Christianity. And surely the advent of Islam and its subsequent growth was probably fed by the tyrannical methods used by the Church to secure and enslave converts. When a religion reduces women and or anyone who deviates from the missionary heterosexual lifestyle to second-class status, the state and secular society has a moral obligation to insure that these religious customs do not become the norm outside the confines of a church. That, in and of itself, seems like common sense to me.
23 - Tan The Man
Wow. This event is about 5 years sooner than my prediction. But I still hold fast to my 10 year prediction of the Catholic Church approving gay marriage.
24 - Steve S
The Catholic Church approving? Never.
I would say it's more likely that in 10 years, the rest of the world will okay gay marriage, the Catholic Church will voice it's opposition, resign itself to the fact that it's views are considered yet again oppressive and exclusionary, (and increasingly isolationist), but it will have made it's point, and then we all move on.
That's my bet.
Gay marriage will save the taxpayer over 1 billion a year. Even the General Accounting Office agrees with that.
The health insurance rates for everybody will fall, as more and more people settle into monogamy. Even things like home ownership will increase. The small effects on society are what will finally convince people of equality for all, but something like that doesn't benefit the church. Continued control over people's behavior does, so they will continue to speak out on behavior.
My opinion.
25 - Dave Nalle
Giant stadium seating fundamentalist ranthouses aren't losing membership. From what I can see they're building bigger facilities with gyms, sports fields and super duper broadcast studios.
Dave