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Category: Same-Sex Marriage
Posted by: an okie gardener
Very thoughtful essays well worth reading from Commonweal. Here.
Category: Same-Sex Marriage
Posted by: an okie gardener
The Pew Forum has the results of polling on support for same-sex marriage in the U.S. and in Europe. Here in the U.S. the numbers have remained about the same over the last few years, 55% oppose, 37% favor. Support for Civil Unions has increased to 54%.

In Europe strongest opposition is found in Eastern Europe.
Category: Same-Sex Marriage
Posted by: an okie gardener
I attended the national meeting of my denomination as a delegate last month. I hope to have a post covering that soon. But, for now, a bit on Canada and same-sex unions.

Our Canadian delegates usually were in the lead in opposition to any support for same-sex unions. I asked one of them about this. He told me that the churches in Canada felt under pressure from their society and government to conform to a mandate accepting same-sex unions.

He referred me to this article and this article.

The Canadian courts have mandated acceptance of same-sex unions. And, while religious institutions are exempt, the pressure continues. For example,

A Christian camp in Manitoba is facing a possible human rights complaint because it refused to rent to a gay and lesbian group. A British Columbia Board of Inquiry's recent ruling that the Knights of Columbus may refuse to rent their hall for a same-sex wedding reception because it violates their "core beliefs" as a religious organization is relevant to all churches that rent their facilities. While the tribunal ruled in the Knights of Columbus's favour, they were still fined "for injury to the lesbian couple's dignity, feelings and self-respect."

Here in the U.S.
the Methodist Camp at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, faces a simliar situation. Perhaps churches and church camps in the U.S. may need to restrict public access to their facilities in order to avoid lawsuits from gays and lesbians.