Posted on 06/28/2015 4:59:21 AM PDT by tje
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (May 23, 2015) – This week, the Alabama state Senate passed a bill that would end the practice of licensing marriages in the state, effectively nullifying both major sides of the contentious national debate over government-sanctioned marriage.
Introduced by Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Bay Minette), Senate Bill 377 (SB377) would end state issued marriage licenses, while providing marriage contracts as an alternative. It passed through the Alabama state Senate by a 22-3 margin on May 19.
“When you invite the state into those matters of personal or religious import, it creates difficulties,” Sen. Albritton said about his bill in April. “Go back long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. Early twentieth century, if you go back and look and try to find marriage licenses for your grandparents or great grandparents, you won’t find it. What you will find instead is where people have come in and recorded when a marriage has occurred.”
The bill would replace all references to marriages “licenses” in state law with “contracts.” The legislation would not invalidate any marriage licenses issued prior to the bill being passed.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com ...
Figures.. Could a kind Moderator please add an ‘A’?
Thank you Senator Albritton.
If that doesn't happen, I could imagine a situation where a Church is forced by some crazy judge to marry same-sex partners.
We've learned one thing this past year. The judiciary is out of control. Anything we believe in that isn't voted away will be decreed away. A law like this takes marriage out of the hands of judges.
Good plan. Let the state offer marriage ‘contracts’, and the churches offer services of ‘Holy Matrimony’, to whomever meets their religious requirements.
Some federal judge will likely find this law unconstitutional when it’s challenged in court.
They can just make it up as they go along now.
They will go to SCOTUS again whining that they are being excluded from ‘contracts’ by mean bigots. Man, i despise the Left
This is an excellent solution.
Since marriage is now a right conferred by the law of the land, license, contracts or whatever you want to call them should be under the purview of the federal government, not the state government. The state should have absolutely nothing to do with the issuance of licenses and/or contracts. Let it be handled by the HHS, the Social Sec. Administration, or the the federal court system.
Churches that want to conduct religious ceremonies are free to do so for whomever they wish - and those who do not are free to do as their religious convictions lead them.
The Left sets out to destroy marriage.
The Republican response? Destroy marriage.
And the goal of Marx and Engels is fulfilled.
Marriage is destroyed.
‘zackly.
Would a “crazy judge” need to intervene? If a church chooses not to marry a same sex couple they would likely lose/risk their tax exemption through the feds.
A possible solution...
Same sex “marriage” ceremony practices for this church.
The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that same sex marriage is a constitutional right.
Given that same sex couples will be demanding their “rights” be observed, under threat of law suits, the following practices for such “union” will be observed until such time as the Supreme Court of the United States deems otherwise.
1. There will be no fees required by this church.
2. Decorations will be allowed no earlier than 15 minutes prior to the ceremony.
3. Decorations will be removed within 15 minutes after the ceremony.
4. The ceremony will consist of the pastor saying, “Do you (name1) take (name2) to be your USSC recognized “spouse”?
Upon response, the pastor will say, “Do you (name2) take (name1) to be your USSC recognized “spouse”?
5. The then says, "USSC now considers you to be a couple."
You now have 15 minutes to take all your decorations and witnesses and depart the church.
After 15 minutes you will be considered trespassers and appropriate action will be taken.
I respectfully disagree...
Marriage was redefined by the courts. When one uses the term “marriage” it now means basically ANYTHING...
OTOH, “Holy Matrimony” is something that can be defined by the churches with their own standards as it relates to religious freedom. SCOTUS fell all over itself to make sure this was clear in the ruling...
The state will now get OUT of the marriage business and the churches will get into the Holy Matrimony business...
It’s not a perfect solution but it’s at least a start in the right direction to making their “victory” hollow...
Taking marriage out of the hands of the government is not destroying marriage, it’s protecting it and putting it back into the proper venue - namely religion.
Yummy. Just what I want, to go to a federal org for paperwork. Look, what Alabama is doing is artfully bringing the issue back to the States via the 10th Amendment which IMHO is where it should reside because Unless I am mistaken the purview of States is "Contract" Law, this was not about stretching the limits of the 14th Amendment again which is what the Supremes did. I just wish any State would try to bring my health care "Contract" back to the State level and not be Federalized, which is what Obamacare did.
IMHO what Alabama is doing here is Brilliant....
This is the crux of the problem. If the State wasn't conferring benefits (tax breaks, health care, etc.) based on marital status, number of children, etc., there'd be less of a clamor to thus sign up for the freebies.
Marriage is destroyed because the state can’t get the definition right or doesn’t issue a license? The state wishes it had that kind of power.
Freegards
Assuming the family unit is advantageous to communities, employers, and States, communities, employers, and States can now create “procreative unions” or something so that they may recognize and reward family units.
If you want family units in your job, community, or State, then you can find a way to reward it.
Just call it something they don’t like.
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