I’m very suspicious of this particular trope, because it makes no sense: Of course the church doesn’t “own” marriage. The existence of civil marriage ceremonies would seem to establish this as a self-evident fact. I think something else is going on.
I think it’s a way for government to force churches to marry same-sex couples whether they want to or not.
>> I think it’s a way for government to force churches to marry same-sex couples whether they want to or not.
Exactly.
Trick question. If the church doesn't own marriage, then why would they be concerned about a church sacrament?
If the secular and civil society wants to 'celebrate' same-sex weddings/marriage they are perfectly able to do so. Judges, for hundreds of years have married people.
They want to walk down the aisle, go to Vegas baby! Or let them, secularists, open and create their own wedding halls. Gee, look at all the really cool jobs they can create from the secular marriage counselor to wedding planner to caterer! The fact remains if secular society wants same-sex couples to get married, that is secular society's concern. There are/will be many avenues to which the government can 'approve' marriage, but this does not mean they are all "God approved."
There is absolutely no reason for the government to interfere with the religious sacrament that is marriage. The Church, the priest, the minister, the reverend has no authority to put together in the sacrament of marriage, that which God condemns as a sin. No one forces anyone to be a member of the Church, it is a free-will choice(except for islam).
So, why does the government feel such a 'need' as to declare the boundaries between civil and sacrament? They have existed for all of modern time.
Consider for just a moment who authorized the Church to conduct marriages as an agent of the government? They can just as easily take it away from the church.
Consider this wonky essay from a few years ago, By the power vested in me by the Great Cthulhu and the State of California
It’s the way for government to criminalize divorce and thus throw in jail the “perp”, much like England tried to do when we declared independence on civil terms and decided to make war.
It’s the way for government to criminalize divorce and thus throw in jail the “perp”, much like England tried to do when we declared independence on civil terms and decided to make war.
IE. instead of private parties sharing the moneys, the government is going to have a tax and slave...
Gay marriage is a trap to these “men”. You cannot get any Obama benefit without having to vote for him and pay him up some how. He is part and parcel of this mandated pyramid scheme.
I liked the scene in “Braveheart” where William Wallace marries in the middle of the night in order to keep the English lord’s hands off his wife; we should have our religious weddings completely removed from the secular government, to keep their laws (and attending lawyers) out of it.
I believe it would create healthier families.