perform marriages they do not believe in? Should people be allowed to claim a religious exemption from performing such services, or should they be forced to comply by law? Should threats of jail, fines, etc. be used to "prevent discrimination"? Why or why not.
2006-08-14 09:07:37 · 23 answers · asked by MamaBear 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No, clergymen have always retained the right to refuse to perform a wedding ceremony. Some refuse because one of the participants has been divorced, because it may be against their religions doctrine. I don't see that changing at all if the laws are changed. Making it legal for someone to marry doesn't automatically make it mandatory that those who CAN conduct the ceremony MUST.
2006-08-14 09:14:47 · answer #1 · answered by Crooks Gap 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, the clergy, like any other public organization, should have the right to address this as they wish (as long as they don't violate the law of the land). You don't need a church for a wedding, at least not in the states eyes.
It may be a good idea to come up with better definitions -- consider a "civil union" the legal side of marriage, the part that the state has jurisdiction over, and "spiritual union" the religous or church side of marriage. Different religions and denominations will make there own decisions as to their willingness to perform ceremonies in lieu of the "Justice of the Peace" that is the minimum necessary for a legal marriage.
The question that same-sex marriage proponents need to ask themselves is why they want to "legalize" the union. If it's to force society to accept something they believe in, then nothing short of revolution is going to make them happy. If it's to have a legal claim to support and help and be with someone they love, then a civil union should be sufficient -- in time, more and more of society will come around and some churches, at least, will adjust themselves to help the people in their community.
2006-08-14 09:22:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is no law, now that "forces" a clergy to perform a marriage service. For instance, many Catholic priests will not allow the sacrament of matrimony to people not of the Catholic faith.
There is no discrimintation, any more than a Baptist could claim discrimination if the Catholic church did not allow him to become a priest. Or if a woman applied. The churches make their own rules about these kind of things.
So, if homosexual marriages became legal, many religions would still not allow their clergy to perform the ceremonies.
2006-08-14 09:21:55 · answer #3 · answered by Vince M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Separation of church and state. Marriages dont have to be performed in a church to be legal. A couple could get married at the local courthouse. The governement does not interfere in religious matters that often unless peoples freedoms are being violated. People have a choice where they want to be married; so since people have a choice not to get married in a particular church I dont think that the clergy legally can or will be forced to perform gay marriages.
2006-08-14 09:26:53 · answer #4 · answered by ms mystery 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The government can't force the clergy to perform marriage ceremonies. But that's the point...the church performs a ceremony. When a couple gets a marriage license from city hall, they are legally married. Whatever happens in a church only has religious and social significance, not legal.
2006-08-14 09:16:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No they shouldn't. There is a reason that more than clergy join two people in marriage because not all people want a religious ceremony hence you have Judges and Justices of the Peace who also perform marriages. I got married in a church because it was the one thing in regards to religion my husband has ever asked me for but I would have preferred a J.P.
Let churches decide whom they will marry I'm sure others will be just as happy with J.P.'s and Judges.
2006-08-14 09:23:27 · answer #6 · answered by genaddt 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe that the government should force a religious group to sanction a marriage that is contrary to their faith and doctrine. At the same time civil gay marriage should not be banned solely religious grounds. No one tries to force the Catholic church to conduct and recognize a new marriage by a divorced Catholic. However the person getting remarried has the option of having the ceremony performed by a justice of the peace. The same should be true for gays and lesbians.
2006-08-14 09:27:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever been to a church in your entire life? Have you ever spoken to a member of the clergy....in any religion? Probably not otherwise you would know that no religion can be "forced" to perform a marriage that goes against it's beliefs. That's why we have something called civil marriage.
Have you ever read a newspaper or watched the news on T.V.? Probably not or you would know that gay marriage is already legalized in Massachusetts.
2006-08-14 09:19:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
No clergy is ever required to perform a marriage they don't believe in. I have heard of several stories of a minister refusing to perform the ceremony because they thought the couple should seek premarital counseling and the couple refused. You can't force a person to do something that conflicts with their beliefs.
2006-08-14 09:13:37 · answer #9 · answered by legallyblond2day 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I really don't think that the government would forced the clergy to do something that goes against their beliefs. We are supposedly a country that separates church and state, so the government really has no business in church dealings (unless people are getting hurt) and the same for the church.
2006-08-14 09:18:34 · answer #10 · answered by Patricia 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋