As of the end of July I will no longer be registered with the state of Minnesota to solemnize marriages. I will be removing my credentials from Pennington County because of the MN law which takes effect August 1 and because of the wording of the Supreme Court on its overturning the Defense of Marriage Act.
The MN law allows for religious exemptions. But an exemption is permission to not abide by the law. Where such exemptions have been tried those exemptions have been removed via court action not long after the laws went into effect. In the process pastors and congregations have been damaged by the court systems and the pro-same-sex marriage activists.
The SCOTUS decision clearly terms any who do not agree with a state law legalizing same-sex marriage are in criminal violation of the civil rights of persons seeking same-sex marriage.
The SCOTUS decision clearly terms any who do not agree with a state law legalizing same-sex marriage are in criminal violation of the civil rights of persons seeking same-sex marriage.
Because solemnizing a marriage is a duty a pastor does as an officer of the state and not of the church the pastor would be bound both by the state law and the SCOTUS decision.
In order keep state law issues from affecting our congregations and our families I have decided that I will no longer act as an officer of the state in performing marriages or state recognized pre-marriage counseling.
We will be discussing this issue at the Parish Board meeting in July.
Please listen to the first section of Fighting for the Faith to learn about the issues involved.
June 27, 2013 Fighting For the Faith
Goliath Double Trouble
Click Here to Download this episode
Program segments:
• Albert Mohler Comments on SCOTUS Ruling on DOMA
• Brian Houston Turns Liabilities into Opportunities
• Sermon Review: Prepare for IMPACT by Gerorge Clerie, Rock Church, San Diego
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http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2013/06/goliath-double-trouble.html
