Return to flip book view

Act Now The Supreme Court Same Sex Marriage Handout Presented Friday November 6 2015 Bishop Rosemary Lands Presenter

Supreme Court Ruling on Gay Marriage In a landmark opinion a divided Supreme Court on Friday June 26 2015 ruled that samesex couples can marry nationwide establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights advocates a historic victory States may no longer reserve the right only for heterosexual couples Major Churches in the U S that allow same sex marriage The Presbyterian Church USA voted to redefine marriage as a commitment between two people traditionally a man and a woman formally allowing same sex marriages within the church The vote to modify the church constitution follows last year s recommendation from the church s General Assembly The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America allows same sex couples to get married but leaves it up to individual ministers of congregations to decide according to a 2009 resolution There is nothing that prescribes who a congregation pastor can marry or not marry so long as it is consistent with state law ELCA Secretary David Swartling said in 2012 The Episcopal Church established a rite of blessing for same sex couples in 2012 and prohibited discrimination against transgender people It has welcomed gay people since 1976 when its General Convention decided that homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church Technically it has no official policy sanctioning same sex marriage but it will take up the issue in June The United Church of Christ has allowed same sex couples to get married since 2005 At the 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Atlanta it affirmed equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender and declares that the government should not interfere with couples regardless of gender who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights responsibilities and commitment of legally recognized marriage It was the first major Protestant denomination to do so Scriptures on Homosexuality Leviticus 18 22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind it is abomination Do not practice homosexuality having sex with another man as with a woman It is a detestable sin NLT 1 Corinthians 6 9 11 Don t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God Don t fool yourselves Those who indulge in sexual sin or who worship idols or commit adultery or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality 10 or are thieves or greedy people or drunkards or are abusive or cheat people none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God 11 Some of you were once like that But you were cleansed you were made holy you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God

Romans 1 26 28 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other 27 And the men instead of having normal sexual relations with women burned with lust for each other Men did shameful things with other men and as a result of this sin they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done Leviticus 20 13 If a man practices homosexuality having sex with another man as with a woman both men have committed a detestable act They must both be put to death for they are guilty of a capital offense 1 Timothy 1 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral or who practice homosexuality or are slave traders liars promise breakers or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God 1 Corinthians 7 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality each man should have his own wife and each woman should have her own husband Mark 10 6 9 But God made them male and female from the beginning of creation Jude 1 7 And don t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God s judgment Romans 1 27 And the men instead of having normal sexual relations with women burned with lust for each other Men did shameful things with other men and as a result of this sin they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved