Gay marriage controversy and same gender unions

The Supreme Court is considering whether it is discrimination against homosexuals by denying them the right of marriage. The suit was brought after the Federal Court in California over ruled the will of the people who had voted against it. As I have read, blacks were overwhelmingly opposed. Personally I can accept civil union but am opposed to marriage. With civil union, a couple, whether straight or gay can live together. I can even accept a Justice of the Peace or a ship’s Captain. Marriage is a step too far. I have discussed this with two pastors. One said he favored marriage, the other said he would never participate in a gay wedding ceremony. My question to you and anyone else who reads this article, is what happens to the minister who refuses to perform the ceremony? Can he or she be sued? Can the church to which he or she is the Pastor be found responsible and fined for inaction? This is a far more important issue than the Catholic Church’s objection to providing birth control to employees. Marriage is the most sacred of all rites. In my opinion it was created for a man and a woman to join together and bring forth children in a loving union and thereby maintain the population. Before you hit me with the response that gay couples are raising children, I have not stated that they cannot adopt. So that is my simple short effort to state my opinion for whatever it might be worth. Jack B. Walters March 30,2013 After sending the above, I received a response fro a minister friend who shared a booklet he had written pulling out references to same sex relationships. The following was my response. Same gender unions Dear Ron, April 6, 2013 I appreciated receiving your little booklet about same gender unions. You saved me the trouble of searching through the Bible to find references about the subject. Actually I wouldn’t have taken the time. I am satisfied with where I am on the subject and don’t need to find a particular passage to help me decide. I come down on the side where I don’t hate gay people but at the same time have become increasingly annoyed with the constant bombardment espousing the life style as if it were the normal thing and not the minority. We hear it daily in the news media, in plays, movies, TV shows and in the schools. I just wish they would live their lives quietly and leave me alone. One of the men I most admired in this world turned out to be gay. He was a member of my church with a wife and two daughters. Out of the blue one day he announced that he was gay and had aids which shortly thereafter took his life. At the funeral his lover sat next to his wife and daughters. The church was packed as he was liked and admired by many. My church at the time was Plymouth Congregational in Des Moines, Iowa. We became known as an accepting church. I remember one Sunday as a Deacon during the service we were picketed by evangelicals from another church. I went outside with another Deacon to ask them to leave us alone. In actual fact I was so angry I let the other Deacon do the talking as I was afraid of what I might say. I only know that had they tried to enter the church I would have done my utmost to prevent it. They did depart. Getting back to your book, at this point of my life I don’t need to check the Bible to see if my thinking is correct. As you point out there are any number of places, particularly in the Old Testament where women are told to stay in their place, slaves are told to obey their masters and fathers are told to kill their sons if they disobey. I have never agreed with any of that. In my readings I have looked for what would help me to give direction on how to live a good life. As I said in my article “We are all God’s Children”, I don’t try to state that I have lead a perfect life but that I have tried. There is no doubt in my mind that they will prevail in attaining the right of marriage but not in a church I am attending as I will leave before that happens. I am sending your book to a young minister like yourself who I admire greatly and who is struggling with this issue as you have done. Sincerely yours, Jack B. Walters