Lockyer rejects halt to nuptials He dismisses governor's as a political ploy (CA RATS ALERT)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/21/04 | Nanett Asimov & Ryan Kim

[I_Love_My_Husband]

State Attorney General Bill Lockyer on Saturday rebuffed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's demand that he force an end to San Francisco's same-sex marriages, calling the directive political rhetoric.

"The governor can direct the Highway Patrol. He can direct the next 'Terminator 4' movie if he chooses. But he can't direct the attorney general in the way he's attempted to do," Lockyer said, adding that Schwarzenegger's written directive "was a statement designed for consumption at the Republican convention."

[Slings and Arrows]

So noted. Best of luck, and thanks.

[CrossWise]

I fear that if this nonsense isn't stopped it will in fact lead to vigilantism, or worse...Civil War. Authorities who so blatantly ignore and trounce laws insuring the protection of our society cannot long expect to have their authority respected or feared.
The Governor needs to rebuff the AG, and do everything possible to stop this madness.
We the people need to recall the AG, and see to it a Constitutional Amendment is passed to insure this issue never rears it's ugly head again.
Meanwhile, take names for the a-- kicking that will surely follow. Judges are not immune to consequences either...

[Rome2000]

Many S.F. churches voice support

Don Lattin, Steve Rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writers






City Hall workers are not the only officiants keeping busy these days with same-sex marriages.

The Rev. Karen Oliveto, pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church in San Francisco, has provided God's blessing to eight couples who were issued civil marriage licenses since the great wedding march to City Hall began last Thursday.

"We are in a whole new world, and the church better catch up,'' Oliveto said.

Most of Oliveto's weddings have been in and around City Hall, but Sunday she presided over the union of Dan Johnson and Bill Hinson -- which she said is the first legal gay marriage to take place inside a Methodist church sanctuary.

"This may make some United Methodists angry, but anyone who knows the location of our ministry knows that I acted faithfully,'' said Oliveto, whose 170-member Noe Valley congregation is about half gay, half straight.

National church law in Oliveto's 8-million-member Protestant denomination specifically forbids holy union ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples.

Her actions are likely to prompt a formal complaint to Northern California Methodist Bishop Beverly Shamana, which would begin a long, bureaucratic process that could result in Oliveto losing her ministerial credentials.

Shamana, who has dodged questions about gay marriage since her election as bishop nearly four years ago, was on "renewal leave'' and unavailable for comment until March.

But she did release a written statement Wednesday that took no clear position on the controversial issue.

"At this time ... as people of faith we are not of one mind on issues related to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons,'' said Shamana, adding that church laws make "diverse statements about homosexuality in the church.''

Clergy from six religious traditions -- Episcopalian, Jewish, Lutheran, Baptist, Unitarian and Methodist -- stood by Oliveto on Wednesday at a news conference at Bethany church to support the week of same-sex weddings.

"The time is long overdue for gay and lesbian people to have the support and protection of the law for their faithful relationships and their families, '' said the Rev. Alan Jones, the dean of Grace (Episcopal) Cathedral. "Gays and lesbians are our friends and colleagues. They are us. It's time to honor and celebrate all those who seek to strengthen the human family.''

Leaders of St. Francis Lutheran Church, which was expelled from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1990 for hiring two openly lesbian pastors, have invited all couples recently married at City Hall to go for a blessing at their church in the Castro at 11 a.m. Sunday.

"We want queer couples and their friends and families to know that there are Christians who celebrate these marriages and a God who blesses them," said Jane Moyer, congregation vice president.

The Reverends Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart, the lesbian couple whose leadership led to the congregation's ejection from the national church, were among the 2,600 couples married at City Hall over Valentine's Day weekend.

Of course, not all San Francisco Protestants are jumping on the gay marriage bandwagon.

The Rev. P.T. Mammen, president of the San Francisco Evangelical Association, said his reading of the Bible clearly prohibits the sexual union of homosexuals and unmarried heterosexuals.

"When we violate God's principles, we reap the consequences,'' said Mammen, a minister with the Church of the Nazarene. "No civil authority is above God's law.''

Last week, the spiritual leader of what is by far the largest church in San Francisco, Roman Catholic Archbishop William Levada, had a similar response to Mayor Gavin Newsom's actions.

"Marriage is a relationship defined by nature, a reality which takes its origin in creation itself,'' Levada said. "Society does not create marriages.''

E-mail the writers at dlattin@sfchronicle.com and srubenstein@sfchronicle.com.

[CrossWise]

Well said...such has ever been liberalism's true colors.
Another trait of their's is NEVER to admit they were wrong when one of their social experiments goes predictably wrong; Such a de-criminalizing sodomy. ;<)

The proverb is so true, "What one generation allows in 'moderation', the next will do in excess."

The pedophiles are waiting in the wings....

[onyx]

What is the next move to get Lockyer's attention? Besides a two by four I mean?

[CrossWise]

We are not surprised by support of such long apostate groups as the "United Methodist" for this open rebellion against God's laws. It proves nothing but what we've already known; "Birds of a feather...flock together."
And what strange "birds" they be.

Such groups usurp the title of "Christian" in their self-descriptives, so it is no surprise that they usurp the very laws of Christ Himself who unequivicobly states He will judge and condemn those who commit such things as sodomy.

Jeremiah 23:14 "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."

History is repeating itself here...

[onyx]

Tarred and feathered. I like the idea. :)

[giotto]

If he is a homosexual, there would be grounds for a potential recusal.

No, according to Liberal Logic (am oxymoron if there ever was one), only Republicans must recuse themselves.

[CrossWise]

I like the "two-by-four" idea myself...but every legal remedy should be sought first. lol

[onyx]

Yeah, well, I pinged two legal eagles. Anxious to see what they have to impart.

Let me ping another.

Torie, what's the legal move to get Lockyer's attention?

[onyx]

I must have hidden my manners this morning:

WELCOME TO FR!

[onyx]

That's right, Meek, and in Lockyer's case --- it's ambition also. He so wants to be the next governor and he would love to be the democrat who terminates the "terminator."

[Slings and Arrows]

The Rev. Karen Oliveto, pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church in San Francisco, has provided God's blessing to eight couples who were issued civil marriage licenses since the great wedding march to City Hall began last Thursday.

Does G-d know?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

LOL

[William Tell]

patriciaruth said: "I just filled in my absentee ballot. I voted no on the first two propositions and yes on the last two."

Why have you decided to allow the spending of almost $100 billion this fiscal year?

On another thread, an article blames WalMart for paying employees only $10 per hour and being able to do so because of government entitlements. Whatever will happen if the state is denied the authority to borrow $15 billion can't possibly be as bad as what will happen if there is not a dramatic reversal in its spending priorities?

The lawlessness of the San Francisco mayor is just a hint of what is in store for Kalifornia if liberalism is not slapped down hard now.

[Scenic Sounds]

What is the next move to get Lockyer's attention? Besides a two by four I mean?

Aside from Arnold calling out the militia (lol), neither of them can do much other than make statements and/or go to court. And, of course, they're already going to court.

One of the problems here is that this issue is arising in an interesting way. Most of the opponents of gay marriage have been arguing that the issue of gay marriage should not be decided by unelected courts and that the issue should be decided by the political branches of government. Well, in this case, an elected mayor has taken the initiative in favor of gay marriage and so, in this case, it is the opponents of gay marriage who are now asking the courts to decide the issue.

Courts take time. ;-)

[Amelia]

Can the mayor be recalled or arrested?

I don't guess the people of San Francisco are interested in recalling him, though, are they?

[Scenic Sounds]

Can the mayor be recalled or arrested?

I'm sure they have recall procedures and anyone can be arrested, but arresting the mayor doesn't change the policy of San Francisco. The licenses will continue to be issued until the political leaders in San Francisco change the policy. Once arrested, the case is set for hearing before a court. ;-)

I don't guess the people of San Francisco are interested in recalling him, though, are they?

I really have no idea about that. I do know that he was just elected a few weeks ago.

[livius]

Thanks for the information! I spent many years in SF and still have family there, and I know that many churches there are terminally liberal and even gay-dominated. Levada, I think, came out in favor of a domestic partners bill, but then backed down. At least he appears to have made some kind of a statement in support of marriage, although I wouldn't say it was exactly a ringing defense.

[livius]

the issue should be decided by the political branches of government.

Yes, that's true, but normal US political policy does not include flouting of the law by public officials.

Political would mean that the people had asked the legislature to do something, and it expressed their intention in the form of a law. Which it did: the state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.