In the US, has a Church that objected to interracial marriage EVER been forced to perform such marriage?

Question

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If not, what makes them think that they would be forced to perform same-sex marriages?

If they were forced to do so, I'd like some documentation or research resources.

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Stewart:

Because I could not marry my partner, I had to pay $21,000 in state estate taxes when he passed away that married couples did not have to pay. Don't tell me that we don't care about marriage. There are so many advantages and responsibilities that are given by the government to married couples, it took the GAO 600 pages to list them.

Answer 1

The State cannot force a religious body to marry anyone that the religious body doesn't want to marry.

This is a scare tactic, and I'm reasonably sure that the folks who promulgate this untruth are very aware that it's not true when they say it.

It seems that some religious bodies (and religious people) feel that *they* can tell the State what to do, though, or at the very least, refuse to follow the rules that apply across the board. Take, for example, the fact that in order to get certain kinds of public funding, any and all charities must be non-discriminatory in hiring. yet there are religious charities who balk at that and say they don't have to comply, that they have very right to only hire Christians, or whatever..

The answer to that is, if you don't wan to comply, don't accept the funding.

Similarly, if you have any severe religious restrictions that could affect your ability to carry out a specific job, don't take that job, for gosh sakes!

What sensible Hindu would decide to work at a meat-packing plant?

Would there be the same sense of outraged indignation if such a person was fired for not handling dead cow as the Religious Wrong get over a pharmacist who got fired for refusing to do *their* job - filling prescriptions?

Would these self-same Religious Wrong folks rise up to defend the Hindu who had made such an absurd choice as to take a job he knew he'd have to fail to perform because of his religious restrictions?

"It's different when WEEEE do it"

Yeah, right.

Answer 2

I very much doubt that any pastor has been forced to perform any marriage, period. Lots of them refuse because they disapprove of the relationship for any number of reasons. The most common, I would guess, is inter-faith marriages.

But your point is well made. The legal benefits of a marriage, especially when it comes to taxes and estate laws, and who can visit in a hospital under conditions of "family only," etc., are considerable. They should be extended to any couple (or larger group, for that matter) who are willing to make a commitment to the vows of the marriage ritual: for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part.

Why not accept that marriage is a social contract, and consenting adults have a right to enter into such a contract, regardless of number or gender? Let's cure the legal defect for gays and for polyamorous at once, and thus solve the dilemma of bisexuality, too.

Answer 3

*thinking*

Nope, not that I know about.

HEY! That's right! What can the government do to force churches to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies?

Hmmm.....

NOTHING.

So really, anyone arguing that the civil marriages between same sex couples would inevitably lead to churches being forced to perform ceremonies for such a legal matter.... is...... wrong. The slippery slope is all in their head.

Answer 4

I've never heard of any church being forced to perform a wedding service against their will.
It would be un-Constitutional to force a church to perform a wedding service against the will of the people in that church.
I think the First Amendment, which is supposed to garantee "freedom of religion" would cover that.

Answer 5

The government has never and can never force churches to do anything that they don't want to.

I have no idea why, the religious people of this country think that allowing civil ceremonies for gay couples, is going to change anything that they do in their church.

It's all a game, and it is what their minister's/pastor's are telling them.

They can't help it.

Answer 6

I really don't know.. but you might check with the ACLU... they'd be involved in legal cases based on racial and sex discrimination, wouldn't the?

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/atheist_imagesGIF.gif

I had a recent though on the l privilege of churches to perform legal marriage... It was when I happened to choke over the words "lawfully wedded" ... they're included in church ceremonies and somehow that seems a little unconstitutional to me. I'm really wondering weather it ought to be brought up as a legal question? ... or has it been challenged in the past?

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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Answer 7

>>If not, what makes them think that they would be forced to perform same-sex marriages?<<

Because experts tell us that may well happen:
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/religion/060603/gay.shtml

Answer 8

Homosexuals don't care about marriage. What they want is acceptance. If they can't voluntarily get it from the church they will force it. They are already trying to get laws passed that if you say anything against them it is a hate crime. Soon it will be a crime to quote the Bible.