Noteworthy

The Marriage Controversy: Civil Rights and Religious Rites

by Jay Johnson, CLGS Programming and Development Director

The marriage debate is heating up! Just two weeks after a Canadian court opened the door for legalizing same-sex marriage in that country, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state sodomy laws in its historic Lawrence v. Texas decision on June 26. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia complained that overturning sodomy laws would lead to the right for same-sex couples to enter into civil marriage. Indeed, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is on the verge of making a decision on that very issue.

Among the many interrelated and often complex issues involved in the same-sex union debate is the important difference between civil rights and religious rites. Marriage equality for same-sex couples is a matter of civil rights, of enjoying the same benefits and responsibilities as any other married couple. This has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not our churches and faith communities choose to celebrate and bless same-sex couples with religious and liturgical rites.

As our families, friends and faith communities continue to sort through these issues, CLGS is pleased to announce the development of our Marriage/Civil Unions Resource Project, which will be located on our website later this fall. As part of this project, you will find resources for understanding the history of marriage in Christian traditions, liturgical materials, theological and ethical reflections, sermons, and summary talking points on the differences between civil rights and religious rites, to name just a few of the topics we'll cover.

Stay tuned! We'll have these resources available soon!