The Supreme Court has thrown out a part of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and also overturned Proposition 8 in California. This means that gays are now considered equal in status to heterosexuals in the act of marriage legally. Any specific rights pertaining to a man and woman now apply as well to a man and man or woman and woman marriage. So already in California this afternoon gays began to get married in civil courts.
What does this mean? This means that the USA recognizes the validity of long term relationships between members of the same sex so that they can have legal benefits. Whether any of these can be retroactive is something that has yet to be addressed. I would rather imagine not.
Catholic bishops have called this decision an American tragedy. The real tragedy is the fact that the bishops cannot honor the consitution which clearly states that separation of church and state means that no single religious body can control the government of the USA. The Church is designed to guide and teach, but not dictate or rule. The United States was created with freedom of religious belief so that one can even live in the USA without a practicing religious belief and be protected by law.
Civil law is what governs the USA, not religious bodies. The Supreme Court fortunately did make the right decision. It ruled that the USA is a nation that does acknowledge two different sexual lifestyles so that each is protected by legal process.
It is sad to think that the Church of Jesus Christ would become a tyrannical body instead of a spiritually developing body. I do not concur with gays that because Jesus did not state anything about homosexuality that that means that he had no opinions or beliefs about it. I believe that the written word of the Bible is probably distorted and often incorrect in many ways. It is likely that homosexuality was addressed at the time, as it is a topic that is addressed in the old testament so that modern day preachers try to use old testament statements as the cause and reason to be against homosexual behaviour.
Jesus does describe the state of marriage as that between man and woman. He does not say between man and man or woman and woman but clearly between that of man and woman. St. Paul goes even further in his addresses to his following, explaining how man and woman should treat one another. So there is no doubt that marriage was considered an act between man and woman. Jesus also goes further to state when asked about who is married to who in Heaven that there is no such thing as marriage in Heaven. In the resurrection, all will be like the angels, unmarried. No such thing as marriage in Heaven.
But governments that are made to be independent and free can create a society in which homosexuals as well as heterosexuals can marry and be equal to one another in terms of the law. The state cannot determine whether it is sinful or not. That is the role of the Church.
To be perfect, Jesus suggested to a rich man that he sell all his goods and give to the poor. I would imagine that just as he advices Mary Magdalene to sin no more, he probably addressed the act of homosexuality. For some reason it appears not to appear in any written text of the new testament.
I honestly believe that some people who are honest know that they are not suited for a long term relationship with anyone so that they choose not to marry. I do not see any acts of congress or of the court that address the laws applicable to spinsters or bachelors. Without the push, nothing will ever change for these people who may be angels unawares, or angels aware.
So be it.
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