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Quixote1818

(31,157 posts) Sun May 6, 2012, 02:11 PM May 2012

Is it possible that a lot of people think legalized gay marriage means forcing all churches [View all]

to comply with it? I was just on a discussion on Facebook and pointed out that marriage throughout history has been more a legal binding of two people by the state for any number of reasons from family status, to love to financial reasons etc. I then pointed out that even if the state legalized gay marriage if they wanted to get married in a religious ceremony they would have to find a church that allows gay marriage like the Unitarians.

To my surprise the person had no problem with this as if he simply thought gay marriage was the state telling churches they had to accept gay marriage.

Perhaps democratic politicians need to do a better job educating the public that gay marriage will not force churches to comply and that it is strictly allowing gay people to marry under the states laws.

Thoughts?

27 replies

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Highlight:

Is it possible that a lot of people think legalized gay marriage means forcing all churches [View all] Quixote1818 May 2012 OP

That is how it has been spun. Ruby the Liberal May 2012 #1

Had one of mine not left, I probably would have thrown her out Irishonly May 2012 #4

While you have a right to throw somebody out...... musical_soul May 2012 #15

No, it got out of control Irishonly May 2012 #27

Not only possible ... but probable etherealtruth May 2012 #2

I think a lot of homophobic preachers are telling the "flocks" that pastors would. Irishonly May 2012 #3

I think the only way churches would listen is if their tax exempt status started getting revoked. Initech May 2012 #5

Very likely assumption, imo. May be a logical result of disregarding separation of Church/State. pinto May 2012 #6

The truth is that the liberal denominations are changing voluntarily on this issue undeterred May 2012 #7

Churches should get out of the business of performing state sanctioned marriages, period! hedgehog May 2012 #8

I think you may be onto something Proud Liberal Dem May 2012 #9

I think there are some people who think that. MineralMan May 2012 #10

Ask them why Catholic Churches won't marry two Jews jberryhill May 2012 #11

Catholic Church is exempt from marrying civilly divorced couples HockeyMom May 2012 #16

I don't even understand your comment jberryhill May 2012 #21

Catholic Church doesn't have to marry gay couples in NYS, HockeyMom May 2012 #26

Besides, why would anyone think a same-sex couple would MineralMan May 2012 #12

Better job of educating? treestar May 2012 #13

Exactly. musical_soul May 2012 #14

YES. The majority perception of power of any kind is that it is a zero-sum commodity. patrice May 2012 #17

Maybe one of the reasons that meme is being propagated is that those who are doing that know patrice May 2012 #18

Yes, that is a common misconception. Churches can refuse to marry any couple for any reason, slackmaster May 2012 #19

I believe a lot of people think it will force churches to perform gay marriages tammywammy May 2012 #20

No, I think people fear they will be forced to marry someone of their own sex rurallib May 2012 #22

Yes, that is how they think because that is what they are told. mmonk May 2012 #23

No taterguy May 2012 #24

Can a church legally refused to marry two people of different races, Honeycombe8 May 2012 #25