William Eskridge, professor at Yale Law and author, writes about the many churches supporting the plaintiffs in Obergefell v. Hodges, who are asking the Supreme Court to legally recognize their marriages.
Eskridge notes that support is broad, including a former Republican National Committee chairman, a football player, church denominations, and nearly 2,000 theologians. He contrasts the increasing support for LGBT couples and marriage as a relationship between two committed adults with the churches support for other civil rights issues, showing how change has come about even in churches that traditionally supported slavery.
Eskridge also highlights changing attitudes towards divorce, noting that few Christians and few churches hold firm to the traditional view of re-marriage and divorce as a form of adultery.
From the op-ed:
Assume that I am wrong and that the Bible unequivocally demands that marriage be defined as one man, one woman. Does that require people of faith to disrespect and exclude gay couples? No, it doesn’t. A recent example is telling.
Why do you think so many people have a hard time seeing the church evolution on LGBT relationships as appropriate? Widespread acceptance, even in conservative denominations, exists for permitting second marriages, and divorce, and it would be hard to find a Christian who thought slavery was an acceptable practice. If people can follow a broader interpretation of the Bible on these topics, why are LGBT relationships such an apparent stumbling block?
Do you think the Supreme Court is going to find in favor of the plaintiffs in Obergefell v. Hodges?
Posted by David Streever